connected issue 86

INSPIRING SUCCESS

ISSUE 86

The official magazine for Chamber members

HERE TO HELP The Chamber and CPCA Growth Hub have teamed up to operate a UK-EU transition helpline to assist local businesses

PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER NETWORK

CORONAVIRUS

STAY ALERT

TO STAY SAFE To control the risk of infection: Limit contact with other people Keep a safe distance from others Wash your hands the moment you get home For more ways to stay safe go to gov.uk/coronavirus

this issue

12

10

14

27

22 5

CONTENTS

45

Chief Executive’s highlights

22-23

Charity news

Member benefits

24-25

New Members

8

Member offers

26-29

Cambridge & South Cambs

9

Protect

10-13

Inform

30-31

Ely & East Cambs area news

14-15

Ask the Expert

34-35

Huntingdonshire area news

6-7

area news

16

Marketing Insight

39

Out of area news

17

UK-EU Helpline

41

Stamford & Fenland area

18-19

International Trade

20-21

Events and Training

news 43-46

Peterborough area news

connected 3

welcome from the

EDITOR

Welcome....

ISSUE 86 INSPIRING SUCCESS

Chamber members The official magazine for

HERE TO HELP

up to Growth Hub have teamed The Chamber and CPCA n helpline to assist local businesses operate a UK-EU transitio R NETWORK NEWS FROM THE CHAMBE PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST

Chief Executive John Bridge OBE DL

We are delighted to once again bring connected to your desks each month. This magazine is a great way for the Chamber Network to share their stories and connect with other members.

We are aware that many of our members have struggled during this unprecedented time but it is also encouraging to see the many positive stories that have been shared this month and how companies have adapted their business in order to survive.

Brexit has also been a big part of the last few months and the Chamber are leading on a helpline, in partnership with the Combined Authority, to provide essential advice and support to ensure you can continue to trade internationally. Details of this helpline can be found on page 17.

To be part of the next issue of connected, please email me your stories by Wednesday 24 February.

SADIE PARR

connected Editor

Editor Sadie Parr Published by

Print xlpress Design Jill Rowbotham Advertising Caroline Baker caroline.baker@trinitymirror.com Membership team Bren Coleman 01223 209811 Ashleigh Jackson 01223 209812 Cambridge Clifford House, 2 Station Yard, Oakington, Cambridge, CB24 3AH Tel 01223 237414

• DIARY DATES • FEB 2021

Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk @CambsChamber Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

MAR 2021

23 25

Step by Step Understanding a Customs Declaration course

Championing Business session

2

4

The Future of the UK/EU Trade Relations: Services and Data

Bitesize HR event

4 connected

Letter of Credit course

9

The Future of the UK/EU Trade Relations: Looking at VAT implications

11 16 16 18

Championing Business session

Inward and Outward Processing course

@CambsChamber

Views expressed in connected are not necessarily these of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of editorial content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/ or omissions. The editor reserves the right to make amendments without notification.

9

23 25

Understanding Rules of Origin course

Championing Business session

The Future of the UK/EU Trade Relations: Building on the deal

Leadership Forum event

view from the

BRIDGE

Despite the challenges we’re currently facing, I thought I’d share some of the things that made me smile.

“For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three.”

Alice Kahn, American writer “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day!”

Anonymous

“Sometimes I spend the whole meeting wondering how they got the big meeting table through the door.”

Anonymous

“Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow.”

Don Herold

“The problem with doing nothing is that you never know when you’re finished.”

Groucho Marx “A banker lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.”

Unknown

connected 5

Chamber membership - the benefits As a member of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, everyone within your company has access to a wide range of benefits and opportunities that enable you to promote your company and generate new business.

Currently all our events are being held virtually; please see the event page on our website for details.

CONNECT

CONNECT The Chamber provides opportunities for members to widen their network of business contacts through building opportunities and maximising the benefits of being part of Cambridgeshire’s most vibrant business network.

TRANSFORM

PROMOTE

ME

M B E RS

EXPORT We’re your gateway to international trade, providing a unique combination of expert knowledge, essential documentation and the business connections needed to develop existing markets, capitalise on new market opportunities overseas and succeed in a global marketplace.

EXPORT

PROTECT

INFORM

INFORM The Chamber collates and shares knowledge and information to help all businesses to succeed and grow. We help you stay up-to-date with changes to local development and activity, and government policies.

PROMOTE Chamber membership can help support your organisations marketing mix with a range of opportunities to promote your

6 connected

business and reach your goals. Inform, persuade and remind people about your products and services and enhance your brand through advertising, sponsorship, speaking opportunities and sharing your news, events and special offers to the Chamber network.

PROTECT Our Chamber protection package provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally protected and free to focus on what you do best – building your business. You are protected by a comprehensive legal expenses insurance policy covering business and employee cover across 11 sections, with up to £100,000.00 per claim and £1,000,000.00

in the annual aggregate, plus there is no excess to pay.

TRANSFORM As a member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experience team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

We also have additional benefits for companies that take Global Membership including: Online access to Tate’s Export Guide covering essential requirements for documentation and procedures involved in exporting to over 240 countries Additional discounts on our export documentation service.

If you would like a 1-2-1 review of your membership and more details on the benefits you can access, please get in touch with Bren Coleman on 01223 209810 or email b.coleman@cambscci. co.uk

member

BENEFITS

DISCOUNTED CLOUD SERVICES FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS 1. Cloud servers from as little as £4.50 per month or £0.0063 per hour 2. Cloud storage from as little as £0.018 per GB per month 3. S3 Extreme performance storage from as little as £0.054 per GB per month 4. Cloud backup and DRaaS from as little as £54.00 per TB per month 5. Virtual Data Centres from as little as £123.30 per month We have teamed up with DC Intelligence Ltd to offer cloud solutions that are highly cost effective with exclusive discounts for Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce members.

KEY BENEFITS: •

Services built on a trusted VMware platform by a certified VMware Cloud Verified provider • Bespoke solutions tailored by experts to meet client requirements • Cloud backup (Veeam and Cohesity) • Secure365: Security and backup services for Microsoft 365 users, anti-malware, anti-phishing, anti-spam, mailbox and OneDrive back-up • Access to the G-Cloud 12 framework.

Chris Ward-Jones, Chief Technology Officer at DC Intelligence Ltd (DCI), commented: “We’re excited to be working with the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce to deliver member-only cloud solutions which can make a real difference in both the current climate and beyond.

“As members of the Chamber ourselves, we understand the challenges local businesses are facing, the rapidly changing business landscape is driving the need to adopt digital solutions whilst reducing costs.

“We are proud to have been selected to work with Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce to deliver cloud and technology solutions at exclusively

discounted rates, our combined goal being to ensure members are able to reap the rewards of digital solutions as cost effectively as possible.”

For more information on the service, please complete the enquiry form on the member benefit page on our website and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your requirements and provide you with a quote.

Promote your membership with the Chamber by displaying our ‘member of’ logo on your website and business stationery. connected 7

member

OFFERS

SAVE ON MICROSOFT 365 PRODUCTS ctm IT Support launch savings platform for Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions ctm IT Support are proud to announce we are now a tier 1 Microsoft Direct Bill Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) and have developed our Office 365 licencing platform into a product we have called Nimmbus.

Now available to all Cambridgeshire and UK businesses, not just existing customers, are savings starting from five per cent off Microsoft Office 365 public pricing.

For more information and to sign up visit www.nimmbus.com. This will set us as one of your Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers.

Once done, you or your IT team can buy subscriptions via our secure management portal. New subscriptions are provisioned in near real-time.

Our friendly team of technical account

managers are on hand to assist in the signup process.

No change of email addresses. No data loss. No downtime. No minimum term. No fuss.

The same thing, but for at least five per cent less!

Managing Director, Rupert Davey, said: “Nimmbus marks a significant development for ctm and offers much needed cost savings for businesses in challenging market conditions. We can pass on discounts due to efficiency savings and economies of scale Nimmbus affords us and we hope the savings Nimmbus provides can help support local firms, and their staff, in these difficult times.”

THE YARD @ PRINGLE FARM – OPEN FOR BUSINESS After a rollercoaster 2020 and first year in operation, we are delighted that The Yard @ Pringle Farm has been able to remain open for business stays and for those still permitted to stay away from home during the third lockdown.

Our eight spacious, beautifully renovated barn conversions are fully equipped self-catering units, providing our guests with everything they need to work or relax in comfort, including super-fast broadband throughout. Our

guests’ safety is our highest priority, and with easy, contact-free check ins and no shared indoor areas, there’s no cause for concern at Pringle Farm.

Just moments from the A14, Pringle Farm is within easy reach of Cambridge, Peterborough and the surrounding business parks.

Take advantage of a 10 per cent discount, exclusively for Chambers members, with code CCC2020.

Visit www.pringlefarm.co.uk

Launching a business with purpose

by Alex Hughes, Shift Momentum Most people who want to start a business fit into two categories: 1. Have an idea, and I know what I want to sell.

2. Want to start a business, but do not have that ‘idea’.

When starting a business, especially in the early stages, it is essential to remember that there is little you can do wrong, and it is merely a chance to try new things. The trick is to fail or succeed with your ideas as quickly as possible.

Far too often, we see people hanging on to an approach that is not getting results, for longer than they should.

From our experience working with many 8 connected

varying businesses, we have learned that you can identify a campaign’s success within 90 days. As a result, we developed something we could share with other business owners to benefit from reducing wasted effort and spending during their ‘go to market’ process.

The three-month Launch programme by Shift Momentum pulls together everything needed to launch a business with purpose. It offers support to those new to business or those that need a bit of extra guidance.

To see if you could benefit from the

course, visit www.shiftmomentum.co.uk to find out more. Chamber members save 10 per cent.

To access these services please visit the protection page on the Chamber website or call our membership team on 01223 237414.

how to

PROTECT

CHAMBER FOUR SERVICES Members have access to four key services as part of their membership provided by Quest – HR, Legal, H&S and Tax. These services are all underpinned by Chamber Legal Expenses Insurance.

All of these four services are underpinned by: • One advice line which gives you unlimited access to experienced, specialist advisers covering HR, employment law, legal, health & safety, tax and VAT. Telephone the helpline on 01455 852037 • One website that offers a

comprehensive library of over 750 documents that are free to download and can be customised to suit the needs of your business. These cover everything from employee recruitment to exit, legal documents and health & safety documents • Comprehensive legal expenses insurance which covers you for employment disputes, tax investigations, property disputes, data protection and more.

Full details on our website: www. cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk/ member-benefits/protect/

Cambridgeshire businesses invited to register for membership to Police CyberAlarm Police CyberAlarm is a free tool to help members understand and monitor malicious cyber activity. This service is made up of two parts; monitoring and vulnerability scanning.

Police CyberAlarm acts as a “CCTV camera” monitoring the traffic seen by a member’s connection to the internet.

It will detect and provide regular reports of suspected malicious activity, enabling organisations to minimise their vulnerabilities. The data collected by the system does not contain any content of the traffic. The system is designed to

protect personal data, trade secrets and intellectual property.

Members of Police CyberAlarm will become part of the wider UK cyber defence network, sharing collected data with Police for analysis at local, regional and national levels to identify trends, react to emerging threats and identify, pursue and prosecute cyber criminals.

Vulnerability Scanning can be added and used to scan an organisations website and external IP addresses, providing regular reports of all known vulnerabilities.

Police CyberAlarm members install

a CyberAlarm Virtual Server on their premises which will be used to collect and process traffic logs from their firewall/ internet gateway.

The Police CyberAlarm Virtual Server is easy to install using the downloadable virtual appliance, offering one-click installation.

Once a CyberAlarm Virtual Server has been installed it will securely collect, analyse and feed data back to the Police CyberAlarm Server. The data sent only includes metadata (logs) from internet facing gateways and devices such as External Firewalls.

Data received by the Police CyberAlarm Server is then used to create regular reports on potential malicious activity seen by individual members as well as reports containing threat trends seen across the member network. Members can then use this reported intelligence to update their defences to better protect themselves from cyber threats.

Finally, this data is also used by the Police Cybercrime Units to enhance the UK cyber crime threat picture, enabling them to identify, pursue and prosecute cyber criminals.

For more information on how Police CyberAlarm can protect your business and to register for membership, visit: https://cyberalarm.police.uk/ connected 9

Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

HOW TO MEET THE ONGOING CHALLENGES OF REMOTE MANAGEMENT come across as you ‘checking up’ on them • Start a ‘good news conversation’ and tell staff what a great job they are doing in these difficult times; recognise great results, praise individual performance, highlight the value of the team approach and encourage new learning • Encourage colleagues to take regular breaks – and tell them it is ok swap screen time for a short coffee break or that having a

Go back almost a year and for many, working from home was new challenge and experience – and one most people got to grips with relatively easily.

Fast forward to now and some might say the novelty has worn off.

Peterborough-based Anne Corder Recruitment has some tips for managing remotely: • Check in with your team daily, even if it is just a five-minute video call to ask them how they are. Ensure your approach isn’t one which may

dog barking or small child interrupt a video meeting isn’t the end of the world • Encourage staff to come up with fun team building ideas. Giving your team ownership of this and carrying out that online quiz or scavenger hunt, Friday afternoon drink, or fancy-dress challenge can re-introduce those water cooler moments.

Nel Woolcott, recruitment partner, said: “Employers face their own challenges of managing their teams remotely. It is crucial that staff continue to feel supported, bosses maintain an ‘open door’ approach and engage with colleagues on the lighter side of a day at the ‘remote’ office.”

Pivot your business for success during the pandemic Businesses across our area and the UK have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, over the course of two national lockdowns.

THE ‘PIVOT’ It can be quite challenging to know where to start when you’re taking your business back to basics, but see this as an opportunity to make positive changes: • Take Your Time – is what you’re offering useful?

• Technology – it’s not too late to adopt digital practices • Use What You Already Have – consider that you may already have something of value to offer

•

Local Causes – can you help organisations during the pandemic?

• International Markets – online orders throughout Europe have increased by 50 per cent in 2020, could you expand internationally?

• Pivots Are Commonplace – pivots happen to 20 per cent of companies, therefore success is possible no matter the circumstances.

If you require any assistance with expanding your online presence into major international markets, visit www.anglia-translations.co.uk

Time to review your workforce skills?

The COVID crisis has forced colleges and other organisations into working differently and the Inspire Education Group (IEG) is no exception.

IEG, which includes Peterborough College and Stamford College, have introduced a suite of FREE online courses that are ideal if employers are looking to upskill or retrain their workforce.

COVID has also resulted in many employees being on furlough, meaning they have been away from the workplace through a period of immense change and these courses are perfect to keep your employees skills level up to date while

10 connected

at home.

All the courses are nationally recognised qualifications and can help employers fill any skills gap they may have.

The courses range from computing to English and maths to business and team leading as well as plenty of courses available for those who are interested in the health care setting such as mental health and counselling.

Specialist support from dedicated tutors will be available to anyone who requires it and all courses are available now so you can enrol and start straight away.

REALLY HAVEN’T GOT THE TIME! In times of crisis and overload, many people become less effective as a result of pressure. Working at home can be utter hell, particularly if there are distractions and a lack of physical space.

In actual fact, this makes it even more important to use the little physical and mental space available to achieve chosen outcomes.

There are 168 hours in the week and if we take time out for working and sleeping, we are left with 72 hours.

72 hours is an awful lot of time, so, this is the perfect time to plan more effectively – to achieve what we each individually want to achieve in each aspect of life.

Your time is your life. A time of crises is the moment to restructure, to plan in greater detail, to be crystal clear about your outcomes and to leverage your time in the areas where you are less comfortable.

Advice from Integrated Resources

learn and

INFORM

3 SCARY TELEMARKETING MISTAKES YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE

by Blue Donkey Intelligent Telemarketing Telemarketing can be scary. It’s one of those tasks people dread. They think it’s harder than it is. It’s not hard, you pick up the phone, you dial a number and you speak. Simple! So why the big heartache?

At Blue Donkey we think the reason why telemarketing is scary to some, is they expect failure. In fact it’s one of the few workplace tasks where people often do actually expect to fail. If you think telemarketing will hurt, you probably won’t be disappointed. If you think you’ll fail at it, guess what happens. So first thing’s first – let’s fix that mindset. Get warm and cuddly with all the reasons why telemarketing doesn’t hurt and read on to find out just how simple avoiding telemarketing torment can be.

1. ‘HOW ARE YOU’ If you don’t know someone, it’s generally best not to ask them how they are. In fact, our advice is, if you don’t care, don’t ask. That applies to pretty much anything in telemarketing. How

are you is an open question. It would be a great open question if it wasn’t so irrelevant. If you’re a GP or a councillor, go ahead, ask it. On a telemarketing cold call, it’s a waste of precious moments.

2. TOO FEW DIALS So you attempt to call someone and they’re not there. You attempt again, still not in. Again. This time they’re on holiday. Again. They’re in a meeting.

“Enough already! They clearly don’t want to speak with me”. Wrong! They don’t know you’re calling them, they’re not avoiding you, they don’t even know you’re alive. Keep going. Spread your attempts out over several days (don’t redial) and be patient. You’ll get through where your competition will have given up.

3. LEAVING MESSAGES Another common faux par is the leaving of messages. This is a mistake on two levels. If you leave a message for a call-back, you’re effectively giving away

Construction contractor upscaling?

The pitfalls to be aware of...

There are many contractual pitfalls in the procurement and execution of any construction contract. The Commercial Management process and Contract Law is essential to manage the risks.

Dispute, non-payment, insolvency, and sleepless nights are common in construction contracts. Avoiding problems starts with a clear contract and favourable terms.

TYPICAL RISKS TO MANAGE ARE: • Party Risks – Who are you dealing with? Can they pay? What is their track record? Is the project a firm?

Where are you in the food chain?

What guarantees are there?

• Contract Risks – Clarity is key…

•

•

think Price, Time, Scope and Terms.

Signed contract or Battle of the Forms? LOI? Standard form such as JCT contract or bespoke contract?

Onerous terms or amendments?

Payment periods, retention, liquidated damages, resource supplement clauses, insolvency, and assignment? Design Responsibility/ PII? Warranties? Late Payment? Be prepared!

The Construction Acts – Impact of the HGCR and LDEDC Acts?

The contract must comply, there is an absolute right to payment and adjudication. Terms preventing these rights will be void.

Post Contract – Execution is all Commercial – The absence of commercial procedures is a massive risk. The work must be carried out, paid for and on time. Manage notices, records, meetings, variations and financial (QS) processes or risk failure.

Advice from Arbicon, Chartered Quantity Surveyors and Construction Contract Consultants

the control element. Once you’ve handed over that unwanted responsibility, it will be hard for you to call them without feeling undermined. If they do call you back, they’ll be annoyed since it’s likely your message didn’t indicate it was a sales call.

Telemarketing is a magical discipline because just one phone call can deliver career and company changing rewards.

Mental health help for those getting back to work We are a small NHS team helping people who have been through mental health challenges to get back into work or start working for the first time. Through our four employment specialists (plus a manager and an administrator) we cover the whole of Cambridgeshire with each employment specialist covering a specific geographical patch.

Our service started in 2019, and our first year has been both challenging due to working within a continually changing Covid landscape, as well as rewarding in that despite the continual pandemic we have continued to help our clients gain and sustain employment.

We use the evidence based IPS approach with our clients. This means we aim to work quickly and support clients to apply for jobs within four weeks of our first meeting. Once our clients have been successful in securing a role, we can then offer indefinite in-work support. We recognise that sometimes gaining employment can be the easier part of the equation and sustaining it in the long term is where ongoing support can be invaluable.

The support we offer is for the benefit of both the client and the employer.

This can help to remove the perceived stigma when employing people who have experienced mental health issues.

We are always looking to engage with local employers who want to take advantage of our free recruitment service.

Advice from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Independent Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Service connected 11

Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

NEW FUNDING TO SUPPORT START-UPS The impact of Covid-19 has been felt across the breadth of the economy and with growing unemployment and uncertainty in the employment market, Cambridge Regional College is adding a ‘Start your own business’ programme to its’ training portfolio from January 2021.

To support entrepreneurship across the region, CRC aims to support individuals in the initial stages of a business concept through this targeted business start-up programme, funded by the Greater Cambridgeshire and Greater Peterborough LEP. Director of Commercial Development, Claire Dolan said: “This course will increase self-awareness and motivation as well as enhancing practical skills to enable individuals to take the first steps in setting up a business.”

Students will undergo an intensive two-week introductory phase to help them understand the commitment and challenges associated with starting a business, and the marketing, legal and financial requirements, alongside writing a business plan. Attendees can then progress to the in-depth bespoke ‘Develop Your Business’ programme which delivers targeted learning in the areas that will support the business to develop and grow.

Both phases of the programme must be completed to achieve the Level 1 Certificate in Creating a Business Start-Up – NCFE.

HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH Cambridgeshire Consultancy in Counselling (CCC) is on hand to support organisations with their staff’s mental health and wellbeing.

The pandemic has heightened the need for employees to receive extra mental health support, whether on the frontline of the pandemic or not, and this Cambridgeshire-based charity is available to help.

Within the first 11 months of the pandemic, the charity has provided 2,465 counselling sessions to 391 staff from local organisations. CCC is available to support more staff as they manage the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

CCC offer support to individuals as well as offering support to teams and organisations, including the NHS. Counselling and support services include: general counselling, bereavement support, stress management training, mental health awareness workshops, dealing with change and more.

CCC will soon be rebranding to Evolve – Community Counselling Charity. Same charity, same team, same excellent services.

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VAT deferred payment lifeline welcomed by leading regional expert Businesses facing the double whammy of the continuing lockdown and a looming payment deadline for VAT they deferred during the first lockdown in 2020 have been thrown a lifeline by HMRC, but only if they act before the end of March – a move which has been welcomed by a leading regional accountancy firm.

During the initial lockdown in spring 2020, firms were offered the ability to defer VAT payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 until 31 March 2021, with the expectation that the Covid pandemic would be under control and lockdowns would be a thing of the past, says Nathan Bowden of leading regional accountants Lovewell Blake.

But with the third lockdown potentially lasting up to and beyond March this year, HMRC has come up with an initiative which will enable firms to pay the deferred VAT over a period of up to 11 months, interest free.

“When the initial offer of deferred payment was made in March last year, I think many people expected us to be putting the pandemic behind us by March 2021,” said Mr Bowden. “As we know, that hasn’t happened, and many of the

businesses which took advantage of the deferred payment scheme are still facing unprecedented challenges due to Covid.

“So the decision by HMRC not to insist on full payment of the deferred VAT on 31 March is very welcome, and could be a lifeline for firms which are still facing cashflow issues due to the ongoing crisis.”

In order to take advantage of this latest HMRC offer, business must be up to date with their VAT returns, and still have deferred VAT to pay. They will need to opt into the scheme, and make their first payment, before 31 March, and be able to make ongoing payments by direct debit.

Firms will then be able to pay the deferred VAT over between two and 11 months, interest free.

HMRC has not yet opened applications for the scheme, but when they do, businesses will need a Government gateway account set up with access to their VAT. Enrolment can be done by the business itself, or by its tax agent or advisor.

Further details can be found on the HMRC website at www. gov.uk/guidance/deferral-of-vatpayments-due-to-coronaviruscovid-19

Are you or your business affected by UK immigration law?

Specialist immigration lawyer Kate Hollyer of Chattertons Solicitors can guide you through the complex requirements of UK immigration and nationality law. She offers expert knowledge with a bespoke approach for individuals and businesses alike.

Having practised immigration law for almost

10 years, Kate has a wealth of experience to offer members. She joins Chattertons from a leading London immigration law firm.

If you have concerns about employing EEA workers following Brexit or want to know more about the new UK immigration system, join the Chambers’ Championing Business event on Thursday 25 February when Kate will be speaking.

learn and

INFORM

When is the right time to take THE HIDDEN insolvency advice for my business? TAPER?

The Covid-19 pandemic is taking its toll on people and businesses alike and in its train many businesses will be touched by insolvency issues for the first time.

WHAT WARNING SIGNS SHOULD I LOOK FOR? Think of insolvency warning signs like a traffic light: Green: carry on trading but keep under review • Unable to pay creditors on normal terms but they are happy to extend further credit • Cannot pay the tax man on time but HMRC has agreed a payment schedule for the arrears • Exceeded your credit limits with your key suppliers and are on stop but are able to get credit elsewhere and overall keep your creditors level.

Amber: proceed with caution but if you are

unsure consider taking initial advice • You can only get credit from new sources and are using this to fend off existing creditors • Creditors are threatening legal action and tax arrears are mounting • You cannot accept new orders because you can’t buy essential materials or pay the overtime to satisfy it.

Red: stop trading or take immediate professional advice • You are on stop with most of your suppliers and cannot get more credit from anywhere • You are receiving final demands for payment and county court writs • The worry is giving you sleepless nights.

If you are an SME business looking for insolvency advice visit mw-w.com

New year brings time to reflect The start of the year is always a good time to plan for the year ahead.

Network Design Ltd have put together some handy tips and questions to help you increase your brand reach:

PLANNING

• Prepare now for the rest of year?

What have you learnt from 2020?

• What changes will be of benefit when things get back to normal?

• Do you need to/could you diversify?

• Are you connecting and communicating effectively with your audience?

BRANDING

• Does your company need a rebrand?

• Do you speak to your audience in the right tone of voice?

• Brand guidelines – do you have any?

Are they being used?

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Are your profiles up to date? Do they say who you are and what you do?

Are they consistent?

• Tidy up your posts – could a template to standardise your brand be useful?

• Are you following your corporate tone of voice?

• Are you getting the right mix of messages out – between giving information and sales messages

WEBSITE

• Is the content up to date?

• Are the right messages and imagery on the homepage?

• Review your analytics, what are your most viewed pages – what can these tell you about other pages?

• SEO – have you filled in meta data for each page of your site?

• Google my business – check your details are up-to-date.

• Structure – does this need amending/reordering?

Spend some time generating content ideas to be used across your website, corporate materials and social media.

These ideas can then be formulated throughout the year to give you a library of content to use and reach your audience and amplify your brand.

With everything that has happened in the world over the last 12 months, it would be easy to have missed a crucial change in pensions legislation that took effect from 6 April 2020.

The standard annual allowance (the amount that can be paid into a pension with tax relief) is £40,000. The Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA) is designed to limit the amount that high earners can contribute.

From 6 April 2020, for those on the very highest incomes, the minimum level to which the annual allowance can taper down reduced from £10,000 to just £4,000. This reduction affects individuals with a ‘Threshold Income’ of £200,000 (increased from £110,000 in 2019/20) but this is income from all sources, not just employment. If your total income is near to, or above this level, it is important to understand your exposure to the TAA to avoid incurring an unexpected tax charge; the calculations can be complex so you may need to seek guidance. More information can be found in this video at youtube.com/watch?v=qZ-ovo9aiEg There are a number of options that can be considered to alter the impact of the TAA. Please do not hesitate to contact us at EBCam if you have any questions.

THE GREAT BRITISH SWITCH OFF We all know BT plan to switch off the old PSTN and ISDN telephone lines by 2025, but do you know that this has already begun to happen. It has happened in Salisbury and a further 117 exchanges will join them by June this year.

As the digital transformation to an ‘IP’ world gathers pace, businesses still using PSTN and ISDN services can no longer ignore this change. We have a team of experts ready to help, advise and guide you through this process and a choice of internet connectivity and IP Voice services that supersede the old technologies.

This isn’t change for the sake of change, it is about enabling your business in the digital world, it’s about being always connected, it’s about better engagement with your clients, it’s about mobility and being able to work from home or anywhere.

For a free, no obligation review of your current set-up, call 01480 37600 or email mikel@mlcs.co.uk connected 13

ask the

EXPERT

How can we start meeting again?

With in-person meetings currently very restricted – and likely to remain so for a while – many organisations are opting for virtual or hybrid events to reach their audiences.

Judith Sloane, Acting Manager at Meet Cambridge, which has a portfolio of more than 50 venues, explains how these meeting formats can still achieve their objectives for both organisers and delegates.

HOW DO VIRTUAL AND HYBRID MEETINGS DIFFER? Virtual events have no physical audience in a shared space. They are usually totally online with pre-recorded sessions or they may feature broadcasts from a stage or a studio in a venue. They can happen in real-time or they may be offered ‘on demand’ to the audience.

Hybrid events usually involve two audiences: in-person attendees (when possible with Government guidelines and in venues able to demonstrate COVID-19 secure arrangements) and remote participants. Hybrid events can be a useful way of linking venues and destinations, as well as individual participants.

Whilst many will not regard virtual or hybrid as substitutes for in-person events, they do have the potential to deliver more than simply online presentations and are a safe way to get people meeting again.

During the pandemic, technology has developed rapidly and it continues to evolve; remote elements can significantly enhance and complement an in-person event.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN ORGANISING A VIRTUAL OR HYBRID MEETING? Firstly, for a hybrid event or an event that requires a studio for a broadcast, choose a venue with the infrastructure and broadband width to handle your IT requirements and an in-house team that will support you. Consider also where your event will be viewed and the capabilities of the attendees’ hardware/ WiFi. Ensure the venue has enhanced

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safety and hygiene protocols and look out for meeting industry accreditations such as ‘AIM-Secure’ or ‘We’re Good To Go’ which demonstrate a commitment to offering a safe space. Secondly, team up with a trusted and experienced technical partner (the venue can help identify one) who will assist you in choosing the best audio-visual platform for the job and deliver it for you. Thirdly, think carefully about the programme and what you are trying to achieve. Simply putting presentations online is unlikely to make remote delegates feel included or engaged.

WHAT ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS CAN VIRTUAL AND HYBRID FORMATS OFFER? By working with an experienced provider, you can include some of the important elements of a physical event such as breakout sessions. Whilst true networking sessions can be difficult to replicate, you can integrate with peerto-peer networking platforms or social media. Electronic poster sessions work well, audio files can be attached to the

display or attendees can live chat with presenters. Themed social activities such as scavenger hunts, quizzes, live cook-alongs and pub nights can all be recreated online too.

HOW CAN YOU AVOID ‘ZOOM FATIGUE’?

The important thing to avoid screen fatigue is to plan a varied programme which includes shorter presentation sessions, opportunities for audience participation and a range of ‘softer’ social slots where delegates can interact with each other. Introduce an element of gamification to your programme, awards points that can be exchanged for gifts or to unlock additional content. Include a live music performance and always involve an experienced facilitator to host the event and create a buzz, mixing up the pace of sessions to keep the audience engaged.

Meet Cambridge is the conference and event bureau for Cambridge and the official venue-finding service for spaces at the University of Cambridge, its Colleges, hotels, unique properties and training centres. It provides a free venue-finding service for event planners.

For help and advice for your future events please call 01223 768740 or visit: www.meet-cambridge.com

ask the

Marketing Automation The past year has accelerated the shift in buyer behaviour to online search for more products and services than ever before. Karen McNulty from Media Matters in Peterborough shares her thoughts on how marketing automation could help you meet this demand and grow your business in 2021.

WHAT IS MARKETING AUTOMATION

AND HOW CAN IT HELP MY BUSINESS? Marketing automation uses software to automate marketing activities such as email marketing, social media posting and ad campaigns. Automated tasks are typically triggered by a consumer action, like subscribing to a blog, filling out a form, or making a purchase.

BUT DOESN’T AUTOMATING MARKETING ACTIVITY MAKE IT LESS PERSONAL? The complete opposite! Using marketing automation technology means that campaigns can be personalised based on data collected during a buyer’s online journey. The best automated campaigns consider the behaviours and interactions across multiple channels, such as the pages they have visited on your website, engagements on social media and topics they have signed up to hear more about.

HOW DOES AUTOMATION ACTUALLY WORK? Automation software is based on logic, so in simple terms if Action X happens, trigger action Y. A good example would be “sign up to hear from us” on a company website. Once a user submits their email address, they trigger an automated email nurture campaign.

Companies use these to raise awareness,

EXPERT

educate and build a relationship with the contact by sending a series of relevant content via emails. Another common automation example is advert “retargeting”. This is when a customer visits a website (the “trigger”) then retargeting automation automatically displays relevant ads on the website they visit next.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH MARKETING AUTOMATION TOOL IS THE BEST FOR MY BUSINESS? There are many options available, depending on your budget and objectives. From simple email automation platforms such as MailChimp or Campaign Monitor, through to full CRM solutions which integrate multiple channels including email, social media, and online advertising such as HubSpot or Pardot.For marketing automation to be effective it should be combined with a robust marketing strategy to gain and retain customers and aligned with your customer journey.

Media Matters is a HubSpot partner and provides integrated digital marketing services, specialising in inbound marketing and lead generation. For more information on these and other marketing services visit www.mediamatters-pr.co.uk

BUSINESS PHOTGRAPHY

Rob Morris, Owner of Headshots and Beyond, explains how business photography has adapted and headshots on a white background are long gone.

Headshots and Beyond was set up to provide targeted photography for

businesses of all sizes from start-ups to multinationals.

Clients want to buy from or use the services of people they know even before the first contact has been made.

You, and your staff, are the face of your business so your imagery needs to show who you really are. The typical headshots on a white background are long gone, that’s why Headshots and Beyond goes much further.

At our consultation, we will chat at length about not only your business and target market but most importantly you!

Your clients want to know about you, your life, outside interests and charity affiliations. For example, I support Magpas, which really does make a difference to client’s perceptions of my work.

My sessions are laid back, they are more than a simple headshot, they tell your story from start to finish. Not many people like having their picture taken so my aim is to make it as painless as possible. We can accommodate

start-ups, one person bands through to multinational organisations as one-off sessions or on a subscription basis.

You could have a catalogue of personal images ready to go for blogs, social media, and marketing purposes. How simple does that sound! We have your photographic needs covered.

As Chamber members we are all passionate about business, during these unique times we need to help each other survive and prosper.

For more information, please visit headshotsandbeyond.com

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insight from

Marketing After the Lockdown in 2021 2020 is a year few will forget though many of us may like to!

Despite the positives of the Brexit deal and coronavirus vaccinations, 2021 has begun with a whimper rather than a bang. However, whilst another lockdown is a bitter blow, it may also mark the beginning of the end.

Sarah West, Chartered Marketer and founder of leading business-tobusiness marketing agency Full Mix Marketing, looks forward to 2021 and how businesses can use marketing to regroup and regain.

1. WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN 2021?

The success businesses experience in 2021 may be closely correlated to the economy. If consumers gain confidence, businesses will feel the benefits.

However, this leaves much to chance.

The risk is that a better prepared competitor could steal a march - and market share. Businesses will be looking for ways to proactively grab more clients. That means marketing.

Marketing is more than just advertising alone. Success for some may come from enhancing what they do or how they do it.

However, for many, the route to results will be through straight-forward promotion - making more potential clients aware of what they do so they become the business they choose.

2. WHAT MARKETING WILL WORK AND WHAT WON’T? This is an age-old question with an ageold answer - it depends.

There are broadly two types of marketing. Pull marketing focuses on attracting those already searching for what you provide. If businesses are actively looking for what you deliver, it may be the best tactic.

Increasingly, this means ensuring your business appears where people are looking – the internet! Digital marketing like web development, SEO, PPC (PayPer-Click) and paid social media can be key.

Alternatively, Push marketing is about making businesses stop and take notice.

They may not yet know that they need what you deliver or be reluctant to stray from their current supplier.

Push marketing relies upon marketing which reaches out to potential customers. This might include PR, email, social media, direct mail, relationship building, advertising or telesales.

3. KEEP YOUR MESSAGE SIMPLE 16 connected

Particularly in a downturn, the temptation is to tell potential customers of everything you do and everything which makes it great! However, your audience may not have the time to take it all in.

Instead, success is likely to come from a succinct message which is easy to remember.

An elevator pitch is a good place to start. Many businesses struggle to define what they do or what sets them apart.

Take some time - and a sheet of paper and jot down your ideas.

In the post-pandemic world, having a simple and well-defined message can be the bedrock of marketing.

4. DON’T BURST When sales are low, the first impulse is to attempt to make a big noise with offers, discounts and promotions.

Burst marketing works best for consumer goods – high volume, low cost and abundantly available. It can work for business-to-business but companies are more rational and less emotional. They often take longer to make decisions and want to have a lasting relationship with suppliers.

Rather than relying solely on a frenetic marketing campaign once restrictions lift, it is more effective to ensure you’re already the name businesses will turn to. A steady drip, drip, drip of marketing is likely to be far more persuasive.

One of the strongest tactics is PR or content marketing. By building an active profile on social media, gaining sectorwide publicity or making early approaches to potential customers, you can build up awareness and potential sales.

Businesses who sustain marketing during a downturn are three times more

SARAH WEST

likely to survive and thrive.

5. WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT IN MARKETING IN 2021?

So, what should you spend your marketing budget on as the UK recovers from Covid-19?

Digital marketing is more important than ever. With less travel and networking, your business’s website will be your shop window. Does it paint the right picture or need some development?

As most businesses begin their search for products or services online, both Search Engine Optimisation and Pay-PerClick (PPC) advertising (like Google Ads) may be key.

Content marketing is all about sharing news and demonstrating your expertise.

With more businesses online and working remotely - social media, PR, blogs and other content marketing may be more effective than ever. LinkedIn remains the best platform for business-to-business.

Finally, go direct to your customers.

Pandemic or not, the strongest results may still come from using direct marketing to put what you do in front of decisionmakers.

6. SLOW START, STRONG FINISH 2021 has begun with another lockdown.

However, this time too will pass - and hopefully lead to a sustained recovery.

With good news hopefully just weeks away, it’s important to plan now. The businesses which make the most of 2021 will likely be those who use the recovery - and effective marketing - to outshine others.

For more support visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk

UK-EU TRANSITION HELPLINE The UK has left the EU and now has a free trade agreement based on zero tariffs and zero quotas. It takes the UK completely out of the EU’s customs union, the EU’s single market and the EU’s entire legal order.

This means businesses should continue their preparations to operate in an independent trading nation.

All businesses have to make a number of changes to ensure continued flow of

people, data, goods and services between the UK and the EU. You must take action as the UK is no longer in the single market or the customs union.

LOCAL SUPPORT The CPCA Growth Hub in Partnership with Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce is on hand to offer you the essential advice and support you need as a business to ensure you can continue trading following the end of the transition

period and can guide you to the resources you will require.

GET IN TOUCH If you have concerns following the end of the UK-EU transition period and how it affects your business, please get in touch with the CPCA Growth Hub and Cambridgeshire Chamber team: 01223 209812 / 01223 209816 eutransition@cambscci.co.uk

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We’re your gateway to international trade, providing a unique combination of expert knowledge, essential documentation and the business connections needed to capitalise on new market opportunities overseas and succeed in a global marketplace.

Helping traders keep trading

Customs Declarations are enormously important and a necessity for all businesses that import and export goods.

We can help by making your customs declarations for you.

Paperwork related to imports and exports is complex and can be confusing.

To add to the difficulty, goods will be subject to increased border checks now that we have left the EU, with any one of 26 government agencies taking an interest.

As an importer or exporter, making a declaration requires you to understand everything about the goods you are clearing from a customs perspective.

YOU NEED TO KNOW: • The tariff code for each item in your consignment?

• Do your goods require any special licenses or certificates?

• Does the UK have a trade agreement in place with the country of export from the UK? • Are your goods subject to any quotas?

• Are you importing under a customs procedure?

• What is the origin of the goods?

• What duty and VAT will you expect

•

to pay at import?

What is the correct valuation of your imported goods, including freight and insurance costs?

WHAT ARE CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT BUSINESSES GET THEM RIGHT? Customs declarations are forms which are used to accompany goods that are entering or leaving a market. They’re used internationally to communicate the origin of the product and its relevant tariff, to allow customs and regulatory authorities to calculate what duty is payable and understand applicable restrictions. They are crucial because they enable authorities to know where goods are coming from or going to, in order to control the flow of goods, ensure the safety and security of the country and collect the correct duty.

WHAT IS CHAMBERCUSTOMS?

It’s a customs brokerage service, run by your local Chamber of Commerce. In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, the amount of paperwork required to import and export goods from overseas will increase in both volume and complexity.

The dedicated team of experts at the Chamber can be trusted to have the expertise and knowledge to help traders to keep on trading.

WHY IS CHAMBERCUSTOMS UNIQUE? Put simply, we’re unique because we have direct relationships with every port in the UK. This means we don’t need to rely on any third parties to clear goods for import and export.

DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER CAMBRIDGESHIRE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO USE THE SERVICE? No. The service is open to all businesses who import or export goods.

I’M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE – WHAT DO I DO NEXT? Give the International Trade team a call on 01223 237414.

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Go

EXPORT

Important document information CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN FORMS European Community Certificates of Origin are no longer valid and you now apply for a UK Certificate of Origin.

These forms can be purchased from the Chamber by calling 01223 237414.

Any remaining stock of EC forms

must be destroyed by the Exporter immediately if you have not already done so.

You can download our completion guide to completing a UK Certificate of Origin from the Chamber website.

EUR1 FORMS There is still some uncertainty around

EUR1 forms and you should refer to the gov.uk website for up-to-date information regarding countries where agreements are in place.

ATR FORMS These documents are no longer in use.

The only exception is for a ‘duplicate’ where the original form has been lost or stolen. Please contact the International Trade team if you need to apply for a duplicate ATR form.

Contact the International Trade Team on 01223 237414.

WHY ARE RULES OF ORIGIN PUTTING A SPANNER IN THE WORKS? Rules of Origin (RoO) are putting a spanner in the works for UK exporters wishing to take advantage of the UK’s newly negotiated trade deals with the EU and all trade deals we had with the EU that have been rolled over.

The new trade agreements only allow goods of UK origin to move tariff and quota free.

Many UK exporters from a variety of sectors are finding that goods they thought they could export tariff and quota free do not meet the new origin rules putting their goods at a disadvantage compared to their EU competitors.

The rules define which goods can be counted as originating in the UK and therefore benefit from the negotiated agreements.

SO, WHY DO WE HAVE ROO?

that country even though the country that originally sent the goods does not have a deal with that country.

For example, a US company wants to export to the EU, but the US and the EU do not have a trade deal.

Without RoO the US company could export the goods to the UK and then on to the EU taking advantage of the UK EU trade deal.

The rules vary for each commodity code though in general if 50 per cent of the ex-works price is considered as originating in the UK then the goods would be considered to be of UK origin.

goods.

For example if Norwegian salmon is imported into the UK and then repackaged for the consumer market, then repackaging is considered a minimal process which does not confer origin, so the goods remain of Norwegian origin. If the same Norwegian salmon is imported into the UK and is smoked and then repackaged for the consumer market, then the salmon can be considered of UK origin.

These rules will have the effect of curtailing the UK from being a distribution centre for EU goods.

It may make UK manufacturers look for UK suppliers to replace For goods wholly originating on the UK this is not an issue but with modern their existing EU suppliers, but EU supply chains parts come from all over manufactures face the same issue so may well replace there UK suppliers. the world.

RoO are written into all trade agreements to ensure that reduced tariffs and other non-trade barriers covered by the agreement are only available to goods originating in the countries that have signed the agreement.

When we were a member of the EU then parts from EU counties counted towards the origin of the goods and in some agreements they still can as long as they processed in some way in the UK. This is called cumulation and is included in some format in most trade agreements.

In short RoO are an added barrier to trade that many UK exporters have not needed to consider before.

If we did not have RoO then companies could just import goods into a country that has a trade deal with the country they want to trade with then just export the goods from

The issue UK businesses are having at the moment is that cumulation can only apply if the goods are processed and there is a list of minimal processes which do not change the origin of the

The Chamber is running a Understanding Rules of Origin on Tuesday 23 March from 10.00am2.30pm. Turn to pages 20 for details.

Not all goods can move tariff and quota free between our trading partners.

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Currently all Chamber events are being held online. Please see our website for the most up-to-date event listing. Our regular events include Bitesize HR, Leadership Forum, Championing Business and Construction sector events.

Invites are sent to all Chamber members with a link to register.

CHAMBER TRAINING SESSIONS The Chamber runs a rolling programme of training courses that culminate in the nationallyrecognised Foundation Award in International Trade.

Our regular training courses provide the knowledge to assist with your international trade activities. Currently, all courses will take place online via Zoom.

Step by Step Understanding a Customs Declaration

Exchange with and without documents. You will gain a better understanding of how important it is to getting it right first time avoiding delayed payment of goods exported.

Tuesday 23 February, 10.00am-2.30pm The training course will highlight what you need to know to complete customs declarations accurately and efficiently for the import and export of goods, including taking you through step-by-step guidance on completing the SAD C88 form.

Letters of Credit Tuesday 9 March, 10.00am-2.30pm This workshop covers the five main types of payment for exports, from advance payment to open account, including Sight Documentary Collection, Term Documentary Collection and Documentary Letters of Credit.

It includes the use of Bills of

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Inward and Outward Processing Tuesday 16 March, 10.00am-2.30pm The course will cover special procedures and the benefits of using IP and OP in your compliance.

We will look at the impact of the EU Union Customs Code (UCC) on the application, the requirement for duty guarantees and administrative processes involved in managing IP. As well as reviewing the IP application form and the C99/ C&E812 suspension returns, we will also look at what internal processes are required.

Understanding Rules of Origin Tuesday 23 March, 10.00am-2.30pm This course will explain all aspects of the Rules of Origin and Trade agreements and how to understand and comply with them to help companies be more competitive in export markets.

Rules of Origin are the major factor in FTA agreements and we will learn how this is calculated and the benefits of having UK Origin.

Full course details are available on at www.cambridgeshirechamber. co.uk/training Cost per course: £280.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £375.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members.

To register please visit our website, email s.parr@cambscci.co.uk or telephone 01223 237414.

chamber

EVENTS

THE FUTURE OF UK-EU TRADE RELATIONS WEBINAR SERIES Our upcoming series of webinars will explore the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Businesses trading internationally need support during this time of change.

These interactive events will provide guidance and advice for businesses in the short term and over the coming months.

These events are Chaired by James Martin, Director of Policy, British Chambers of Commerce, and welcome guest speakers.

You can sign up for these online sessions via the event pages on the Chamber website.

THE FUTURE OF THE UK/EU TRADE RELATIONS: SERVICES AND DATA Tuesday 2 March, 1.30-2.30pm Look further into the understanding of what the new arrangements mean for service providers and businesses reliant on using data, both under the agreement and the potential for an adequacy agreement (with possible legal implications).

THE FUTURE OF THE UK/EU TRADE RELATIONS: LOOKING AT VAT IMPLICATIONS Tuesday 9 March, 2.30-3.30pm Look further into VAT, how we can make sure we are on the right

side of guidelines and what these arrangements mean for business.

THE FUTURE OF THE UK/EU TRADE RELATIONS: BUILDING ON THE DEAL Tuesday 16 March, 2.30-3.30pm Our final event in this series will look at the UK/EU deal which contains a range of provisions under which the deal might evolve, whether because of suspected breach or as the basis for building up the relationship in key areas. Here we will gaze into our crystal ball and look at how trading relationships might change over time.

SAVE THE DATE! BCC GLOBAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2021 - RETURN TO PROSPERITY AND GROWTH The British Chambers of Commerce flagship Annual Conference is one of the main events in the business calendar, with the 2021 Conference taking place in June over two days.

This year’s conference will take place virtually, which means members will be able to attend online and access high-level keynotes, expert panel sessions, practical workshops, masterclasses and a virtual exhibition - all just a few clicks away!

Keep an eye on our website and future issues of connected for further details. connected 21

CHAMBER CHARITY OF THE YEAR We are delighted to have chosen Anna’s Hope as our Charity of the Year.

Anna’s Hope is the leading children’s brain tumour charity in the East of

Anna’s Hope For children and young people with brain tumours

England, committed to giving hope to children and young people diagnosed with a brain tumour. annas-hope.co.uk

Continuing to make a difference to children with a brain tumour Anna’s Hope is celebrating 15 years of making a difference to the lives of children with a brain tumour.

The charity was set up in 2006 by Carole and Rob Hughes whose daughter, Anna lost her battle to a brain tumour aged only three.

The charity is supported by hard working volunteers so every penny goes to providing specialist nurse support, specialist neuro-rehabilitation, support groups and family breaks.

Anna’s Hope are proud to have cofounded the Brainbow Service where

they are the major funder.

Brainbow is based at Addenbrookes where children receive support from the Anna’s Therapy Team which includes, physiotherapy, speech and language, and occupational therapy.

Over the years the charity has helped thousands of children and could not have done so without the help of local business and the community.

If you would like to support Anna’s Hope please contact Carole Hughes at admin@annashope.co.uk

2020 WAS FOCUSED ON SURVIVAL Economic, personally, communally, survival has been the underlying driver for us all. As a Cambridge based homeless charity supporting vulnerable individuals in society, survival was and is paramount for Jimmy’s.

Protecting our residents, staff, volunteers provided challenges that are all too familiar across our sector.

HOW DID WE ACHIEVE IT? Keeping a 24/7 emergency accommodation open during a pandemic relies on great staff and good procedures. Getting those areas right enabled us to remain open. We’ve provided emergency accommodation to nearly 200 people, supporting into further accommodation. We’ve sustained homes to over 50 people in nine shared houses, introduced 10 new modular homes with more to come in 2021. We’ve enabled two-thirds of the residents of our Controlled Drinking Project to reduce drinking to abstinence and take up private residence.

Motivated staff, economic prudence, strong clear leadership and a great community allowed us to carry on doing what we do best, changing lives for the better.

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Arthur Rank Hospice has faced unprecedented challenges Almost all the Charity’s fundraising activities had to be reconsidered, after traditionally reliable income streams were halted effectively overnight. Similarly, it remodelled many of its frontline services (even introducing new clinical support and care models) to help cater for the rapidly changing healthcare needs of Cambridgeshire.

None of this would have been possible without the unflinching support of the local community.

The Hospice would like to thank the many businesses and organisations

who did all they could to help, including but not limited to: Citrix, who donated £15,000 after launching a Covid-19 Support Fund to help frontline charities.

AstraZeneca PLC, who offered expertise on how they were navigating the pandemic, giving practical advice.

All those who purchased iPads and portals so patients and their loved ones could talk via video call.

Donations of PPE and scrubs from organisations and community groups.

Delicious deliveries of food to colleagues working in the Hospice, from Pipasha, Zara Indian Cuisine, the Cambridge Fruit Co and more!

TKMaxx Cambridge who delivered a huge selection of condiments and confectionary, to help raise funds.

2020 was a year when we have appreciated our communities more than ever. Thank you for being part of #TeamArthur and helping build solid foundations, on which Arthur Rank Hospice Charity can continue to provide vital frontline care, support and services.

chamber supports

CHARITY

COMPANIES PITCH IN TO HELP LOCAL CHILDREN Cambridgeshire children’s mental health charity, Blue Smile, has received new support from the business community in the face of Coronavirus.

Blue Smile usually provides expert one to one therapy in schools, for children aged 3-13 years. However, the coronavirus pandemic has caused major disruption to the charity’s services.

“When lockdown 1 happened”, explained Charity Director Jess Manley, “the schools closed and suddenly children’s courses of therapy were cut short.

“It takes time to build a relationship of trust with a child who has mental health or emotional problems, so it was very important that we could continue to support these children.”

Thanks to support from local community groups, trusts, and companies the charity was able to quickly develop new remote services to support children and families by phone and online. These services were so successful, and the feedback so positive, that since September 2020, the charity has continued to offer remote support alongside face to face

work in schools.

Cambridge Assessment has been a key supporter of Blue Smile’s work during this time of crisis. Since early 2020 the Cambridgebased company has supported three charities including Blue Smile. This partnership has helped to fund the new support services for children, developed since March.

Blue Smile also benefitted from the support of Arm Cambridge Community Fund and Cheffins Community Fund, through the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. This support has helped to fund the core work of the charity, helping children with difficulties such as severe anxiety, impacts of trauma, self-harm, and bereavement.

Recently, another company with local offices provided very practical support to Blue Smile. Art kits are an essential part of the therapy that the charity provides to children who are struggling with their mental health. In

Clip ‘n Climb raising funds for charity Chris Walthew, Owner of Clip ‘n Climb Cambridge, is keeping productive over lockdown by setting himself a mega fundraising challenge for 2021, supporting two children’s charities and raising £1,000 by running virtually from Land’s End to John O’Groats, a distance of 874 miles.

Chris said: “I run two climbing centres with my wife Beth, Clip ‘n Climb Cambridge, and with our crystal ball of predicting good timing suffering a severe malfunction, Climb Quest Milton Keynes, which we opened a month before Covid 19 hit last year.

“This will be a serious challenge for me; 874 miles is the equivalent of over 33 marathons! The first motivation for doing the challenge is to

give me a target that I’m in control of working towards and achieving. This is giving me a huge boost to deal with all uncertainties of life and business at the moment, helping me focus my energies on doing my best with what I can do something about.

“My second motivation is to use this challenge as an opportunity to raise much needed funds for charity.”

Chris is raising money for Spectrum, who provide events and support for families of children with Autism, additional needs and disabilities, and MacIntyre, who provides learning, support and care for more than 1,200 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability and/or autism, throughout the country.

order for children to play safely with their therapist in their face to face therapy sessions, they can no longer share the materials. Each child must now have their own kit to reduce the risk of spreading Coronavirus. Not only has this meant purchasing new art materials and toys, but it has also meant finding 200 boxes so that each child has a box of their own.

The charity turned to packaging company DS Smith, and was bowled over by the response when they asked for help. Within days, 200 flat-packed boxes of exactly the right size arrived at Jess’s door. The boxes are now full of the paints, paper, puppets and playdoh (and more) that help children express difficult feelings and emotions in a safe, supported way.

Business Community Shifties raises over £4,000 for CPSL MIND 2020 was an incredibly challenging year for so many; and the Shifties community wanted to raise awareness of people’s need to talk when they are feeling low and need support. And that is precisely what Alex Hughes of Shift Momentum and founder of Shifties achieved.

On Monday 18 January, the so-called most depressing day of the year – “Blue Monday”, Alex went live to talk for 24 hours nonstop with small business owners, mental health experts and advisors from the local community; sharing stories and advice on how to shift to a positive mindset during 2021.

The campaign aims to raise £10,000 for CPSL MIND. This charity promotes positive wellbeing across their communities and campaigns against the stigma and discrimination faced by so many people experiencing mental health challenges.

After working alongside many small business owners from St Neots and beyond, who generously put together an impressive pool of prize giveaways and following a day of eye-watering stories of resilience, Alex managed to raise over 40 per cent of his target, hitting £4,325 plus Gift Aid, which is a fantastic achievement. connected 23

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Get in touch today to find out the many benefits.

Tel: 01223 237414 Email: enquiries@cambscci.co.uk

• NEW MEMBERS • ActionCoach Cambridge

High Performance Change Ltd

Alight Media

III Shires Pest Control

Allcontrols Ltd

Intergence Systems Ltd

Butler Smith Specialist Carriers Ltd

Laxton

Cambridge Bluesquare Ltd Cambridge PACE Works Cambridge Science Centre Cambridgeshire Consultancy in Risk Analytics Cap Air Systems Ltd

Locate Supplies Ltd March Podiatry Practice Ness M Care Foundation Ltd Oxwash PervasID PolicyDepartment Ltd

Casson & Friends Property Eyes Cloud Geeks Ltd Sandon Foods Ltd De Jure Chambers Duvalco UK Ltd Engelus Network Ltd Export Unlocked F H Nash Ltd

SellickRail Ltd Stagecoach East Stamford Power Systems Ltd Star Radio Stratech Scientific Ltd

Fairmount Weather Systems Ltd

The Mediator

FDL Ltd

Transworld Business Advisors

Guardtech Cleanrooms Ltd

UVO3 Ltd

Hartsmere Logistics Ltd

Wood Green The Animals Charity

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welcome

BRIGHTFIELD BUSINESS HUB The Brightfield Business Hub is a 24/7 business centre based in Orton Southgate, Peterborough. Their services are designed to help and support local businesses, whether you are a solopreneur, start-up or a growing SME. These include serviced offices, coworking space, virtual offices, meeting rooms, and event and conference space. Visitors and tenants alike benefit from plentiful onsite parking, high-speed broadband, a cafe with courtyard seating and a gym. A creche and other great facilities are in the pipeline, and with regular business support events to help businesses thrive, it’s their goal to help tenants and their community grow. www.brightfieldbusinesshub.co.uk

efficient, productive and profitable. They work with business owners that understand the needs of their companies to be digital ready.

Prepare your company to face the challenges of the 2020s and move into the digital age. www.clearit.solutions

NEW MEMBERS communications tools including; branding, websites, social media, brochures, technical manuals, annual reports, advertising, exhibitions and much more. www.designbynetwork.co.uk

CLOUD GEEKS A Cloud Centric Business focused on providing Cloud IT Services using Azure and Office 365, Cyber Security, Cloud Telephony Solutions, Data Broadband Circuits and Mobile Solutions.

Cloud Geeks was formed as part of a strategic decision and is a division of Power Computing Ltd established in 1986. www.cloudgeeks.co.uk

STAR RADIO The local commercial radio station for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with a potential audience of more than 540,000 people. Star’s music mix is distinctive playing throwbacks from the 70s, 80s and 90s presented by people who know and love Cambridgeshire! www.star.radio

HIGH PERFORMANCE CHANGE CAMBRIDGE CHESTERTON INDOOR BOWLS CLUB A thriving, modern indoor bowls club with an excellent restaurant and bar which serves a mean pint at club prices. Bowls is an accessible and fun team building activity and they can cater for between eight and 64 players at any time. Alternatively, if you are looking for a venue that is a little bit different for your next meeting or conference, they have diverse spaces available to hire throughout the year. www.chestertonindoorbowls.co.uk

CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSULTANCY IN RISK ANALYTICS (CCRA) The capacity to make and value strategic decisions, especially under a very risky business environment, will become exceedingly important in the coming years. CCRA joins the Chamber at such a crucial time when businesses need to forge resiliency and manage significant risks. They provide value by using state-of-the art risk analysis and decision technologies, to help companies mitigate risks, make strategic decisions, and achieve overall company objectives.

CLEAR IT SOLUTIONS Clear IT Solutions work with business owners to transform how their companies use technology. By adopting the right solutions for their business their clients become more

Rich Alderton helps organisations prepare their people to deal with unplanned change.

This improves their mental health and develops a culture of adaptability, enabling them to grab strategic opportunities and manage threats as soon as they arise. He has over 25 years experience of leading change in some of the world’s most innovative organisations with key scientific theories to create a roadmap to mastering adaptability, one that takes people on the road less travelled by approaching change not as a process, but as a form of intelligence. www.highperformancechange.com

INTERGENCE SYSTEMS LTD Intergence is a Digital and IT change consultancy, which solves complex Digital and IT infrastructure challenges endto-end through consultancy, technology and managed services. Intergence also offers a range of products to help every business’s IT and data management needs across all sectors. www.intergence.com

NETWORK DESIGN Network Design is a full-service creative marketing and communications agency, working with businesses across a range of sectors who need to communicate simply yet effectively to their audience. Their clients’ value them for their commitment to their own organisational goals and ability to deliver marketing strategies and integrated

NESS M CARE FOUNDATION Ness M Care is an independent charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people cared for at home and their carers.

Based in Peterborough, they are active across the UK and Zimbabwe, and provide a range of free services to support vulnerable adults of all backgrounds who face the stark challenges of isolation and loneliness. www.nessmfoundation.org

OXWASH Oxwash collect, wash, and deliver laundry and dry cleaning to your door using space-age technology and zero-emissions.

Founded by an ex-NASA scientist, its space-age technology provides businesses with a highly convenient service that doesn’t destroy the planet. Oxwash are harnessing the power of science to overhaul the pollutive laundry industry. It’s easy; place an order on their website or app, choose your collection and delivery times, and their experienced team collect, wash, and deliver. Addressing points from microfibre pollution to zero emission e-cargo bikes, you can enjoy knowing your laundry will come back sparkling and responsibly cleaned. www.oxwash.com connected 25

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DOUBLE ISO CERTIFICATION FOR CLEANING PROVIDER Atkins Gregory has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications.

ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognised quality management standard, which affirms that Atkins Gregory meets the needs of customers, suppliers and regulatory bodies, while ISO 14001:2015 certification declares that the firm has reached the internationally recognised standard in environmental compliance and practices across the organisation.

Atkins Gregory was awarded the certifications following an external audit conducted

by global accredited certification body NQA, which ensured that the company consistently met the exacting regulatory standards required to achieve ISO certification.

Business Services Manager, Andy Flatman, commented: “We are delighted to achieve two such significant regulatory awards. ISOs are International Standards recognised across the globe as a hallmark of best practice, in achieving them all customers can be confident that they are assured consistent quality and a green clean whenever they choose to work with Atkins Gregory.”

New focus for Cambridge Therapy Centre Whilst all of our appointments continue to take place online or over the telephone, here’s something a little different: Christine now presents Metal Therapy, a weekly one hour Heavy Metal program, focusing on mental health issues.

You can catch her show on Burwell Community Radio every Wednesday from 8.00pm. For updates you can follow her on Facebook @thisismetaltherapy. To listen to the show, go to burwell.radio and click on ‘listen’. Stay safe and rock on!

CAMBS FA INVEST DURING LOCKDOWN Covid-19 has had a significant impact on grassroots sport, however with some crucial funding made available from the Football Foundation and Sport England, clubs have so far weathered the storm.

During the first lockdown The Football Foundation launched the Pitch Preparation Fund which saw an injection of over £100k in to grass pitches in Cambridgeshire. Following that, came a wave of support for facilities to prepare for being COVID secure. These vital funding streams allowed clubs to

prepare for a safe return to football.

Cambridgeshire FA worked with clubs to navigate the guidance from the government and the FA, to ensure everyone had access to all information and funding opportunities. During 2020, Cambridgeshire clubs were granted £1.7m for facility improvements, including a new 3G pitch at Melbourn Village College. We are immensely proud of how our clubs have committed to providing safe football for all during this incredibly challenging period.

angli-EAR Hearing launches new audiology clinic

Independent audiology experts, angli-EAR Hearing, has relocated to a bespoke new clinic in the heart of Great Shelford.

Using industry-leading techniques and cutting-edge technology, angli-EAR Hearing provides hearing assessments, hearing aid devices, wax removal and tinnitus solutions to clients from across the region.

The new clinic has benefitted from a £250,000 investment and boasts new state-of-the-art diagnostic audiology equipment to enable a full spectrum understanding of clients’ hearing abilities. The extra space gives clients a greater range of services with four sound-proofed audiology rooms, two ear treatment rooms and three clinical rooms for additional audiology services launching in 2021.

Sarah Chapman, Director at angliEAR Hearing, said: “We have increased our innovative testing equipment and taken on more audiology staff which means we can provide a wider range of audiology and ear wax removal services for clients.”

De Sangosse makes donation to two local charities Agrochemical manufacturer De Sangosse chose to support two local charities with a farming connection in 2020.

The Prospects Trust and Yana will both receive a donation of £500 in support and recognition of their sterling efforts to help better the lives of so many individuals in the region who are in need of help.

The Prospects Trust charity based at Snakehall Farm is an 18 acre organic care farm and garden, that specialises in providing therapeutic horticulture 26 connected

to individuals with learning difficulties, disabilities and health challenges.

The Prospects Trust, its staff and coworkers faced the most difficult year last year in its 30 year history due to the challenges of Covid-19.

Despite this it managed to stay open and continue to operate, helping individuals to thrive and learn new skills.

YANA is a charity that was set up specifically to offer mental health support

for those involved in farming and rural businesses in Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire, which have been affected by stress and depression.

De Sangosse’s donation will enable YANA to offer free counselling to those that need its services and will fund two full courses of counselling.

De Sangosse Managing Director David Cameron says: “We all felt it important to help these two excellent charities in these difficult times.”

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

Biorbyt Ltd looks forward to 10th anniversary celebrations Biorbyt Ltd, manufacturer and supplier of Life Sciences tools, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2021.

Founded in 2011, Biorbyt’s vision is to serve the global research community by providing high quality bio-reagents at affordable prices. Built on expertise within the Cambridge ecosystem, Biorbyt has also leveraged knowledge and markets from China, India and the USA to grow the business into a truly global entity.

Biorbyt’s portfolio of reagents now exceeds 550,000 products, which are supplied to scientists across the globe, enabling them to make advancements in the understanding of diseases such as cancer and COVID-19. ‘International collaboration is the key to our success’, according to the founders. ‘The COVID-19 pandemic

demonstrates that the Life Sciences require global collaboration and thinking’.

Biorbyt looks forward to a year of celebrations in 2021 with events taking place, from scientist competitions to charity runs by its staff.

SKILLS COURSES GO ONLINE Cambridgeshire Skills is a well-respected adult and community learning service which thrives on the success of its learners. In our most recent achievement report, 91 per cent of our learners succeeded in their learning journey and this represents one of the highest achievement rates in the country.

Due to the current pandemic, our learners and staff are our first priority. We have therefore transferred all our courses

to online learning. We have launched a diverse range of online courses for those who wish to learn from home all come with full tutor support. For those who are less confident with digital skills we have created simple guides to help you to get online.

We have a wide selection of courses to support you and your workforce and have worked with many businesses to deliver bespoke training tailored to their particular needs.

PROTECTING FRONTLINE STAFF Domino Printing’s state-of-the-art equipment is being used across the world to mark important information onto face masks and PPE, to ensure maximum efficacy and protection for key workers dealing with the pandemic and in turn, their patients.

The company’s award-winning printers

and water-based inks are delivering high quality coding to the healthcare and pharma industries as they manufacture essential items needed in the daily fight against the virus.

Sharon Viccars, Internal Communications Executive, said: “As a business, we are proud to play our part in protecting key workers and their patients as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Using PPE and facemasks that are marked with accurate data which provides clear information about the product is an important element in ensuring everyone’s safety.

“Over the last year, we have been able to demonstrate our flexibility as a business to meet rapidly changing requirements from our customers and ramp up production to keep vital supply chains running, not only in the healthcare sector but in food and beverage too. This has been possible thanks to our skilled workforce which has really gone the extra mile to deliver.”

“Communications powerhouse” cofinitive has been named No1 PR & communications agency in East Anglia after a phenomenal year communicating our region’s significant COVID-19 solutions and breakthroughs during the pandemic.

The multi-award-winning company clinched the top spot in the prestigious ‘Image Makers’ rankings, compiled annually in Business Weekly newspaper’s coveted 2021 New Year Honours list.

During last year’s lockdown, some of the many important stories that cofinitive brought to national attention included the launch of Agxio, a game-changing new machine learning platform built entirely by the brilliance of AI, which was immediately listed in the Cabinet Office catalogue by the Government’s COVID-19 Response Team; AI Vivo’s AI-driven drug discovery, identifying the Top 31 candidate compounds for fighting coronavirus; and the myiCUvoice app which helps ICU patients to communicate whilst mechanically ventilated.

Business Weekly Chief Executive, Tony Quested, said: “Our new No1 is the epitome of everything that defines a UK-leading communications powerhouse.

“Founder Faye Holland has added some excellent operators to her top team and her clientele is globally influential – none more so than the Kao Data centre in Harlow which is to host the new NVIDIA-Arm supercomputer.

“A thought leader with oak leaf and cluster, Faye doesn’t tell clients what they want to hear but what they ought to do. That takes guts.

“She is never less than honest and is prepared to engage if she thinks media contacts have misunderstood the message.

“If Business Weekly ever needed to appoint a specialist to promote the brand, Faye would be our first port of call.” connected 27

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cThings sensors help local businesses monitor cold stores Stagecoach East appoints new MD Stagecoach East has announced Darren Roe as its new interim Managing Director. The appointment comes after Michelle Hargreaves moved to Stagecoach Regional Director for the North.

Darren joined Stagecoach in 2000 and has over 27 years’ experience in the transport sector. His extensive experience of public transport and operations makes him well-suited to the role.

Darren says: “I’m delighted to be given this opportunity and keen to ensure that our transport network is sustainable and focused on our customers in what are difficult times for so many, and that the relationships we have with stakeholders flourish.”

Stagecoach East’s bus network plays a key role in connecting the community and supporting key workers in traveling safely during the pandemic. The bus firm continues to carry out enhanced cleaning regimes, has reduced capacity for social distancing and upgraded its app with a Busy Bus checker, so passengers can plan ahead and avoid busy travel times.

Smart technology provider cThings have recently been helping a business install refrigeration sensors. Independent funeral director Kingfisher Funerals have recently had an urgent need to install cThings Fridge Sensor for monitoring mortuary cold rooms.

Owner of Kingfishers, Andrew Hickson spotted a problem with their mortuary cooling system, where fluctuations in temperature were far more than they should have been. This prompted Andrew to look for a smart technology solution. cThings sensors were installed allowing Andrew and his team to monitor online the temperature so that if there was a sudden breakdown they’d be instantly notified.

cThings specialise in helping businesses across many sectors solve problems using smart technology. They currently help their customers monitor over 14,000 locations across 17 countries.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE ROTARY CLUB It has taken The Rotary Club of Cambridge nearly a hundred years to join the Chamber of Commerce. President elect, Jenny Chapman-Hay, former business editor at Cambridge News, explains why she joined Rotary.

“The reason I joined is quite simple, I wanted to do something about homelessness in Cambridge. There seemed to be so many people sitting on pavements and looking so forlorn, but just giving them some money was not going to be the answer.

“I heard that Rotary was doing a lot to help, and so I became a member. But if I thought it was just going to be about

that, I was wrong. Suddenly, newly-retired and having been rather frightened by the prospect, I was part of a vibrant organisation with a marvellous mix of people, from all walks of life, and all keen to make life better for those in need – and all of us too.

“To illustrate the strength of the club, throughout the Covid crisis we have been meeting via Zoom, and these virtual events, with first rate speakers, are well-attended.

“Members choose which committees they would like to belong to, and there is plenty of choice. Help for the homeless is now wellestablished in Cambridge, and our members continue to give support.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE 5G COMES TO CAMBRIDGE DCI provide technology 5G technology demonstrated and AWARD FOR LAW FIRM participate in testing. services designed to meet the Tees Law is delighted to have been successfully awarded the Customer Service Excellence standard.

The accreditation requires organisations to undergo a rigorous assessment process involving interviews with clients and employees conducted by a qualified assessor, on-site visits and an in-depth examination of those areas of the business deemed to be a high priority for customers - namely delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. The accreditation lasts 28 connected

for three years, with holders subject to annual re-assessment.

Group Managing Director, Ashton Hunt, said: “This award comes as a result of a thorough and detailed assessment of the whole firm’s approach to delivering a first-class service to our clients, and every single member of our team should take enormous pride in receiving it.

It’s a recognition of all the hard work that everybody is doing and proof that putting client experience at the heart of our strategy is woven into our very fabric.”

needs of our clients whilst reducing their costs, such as: cloud compute, cloud storage, flash storage-as-a-service, HPC, virtual desktops, virtual data centre, colocation, and many more!

DCI also have a Data Centre in Cambridge which boasts an impressive specification and security features making it an ideal choice for local technology businesses. DCI’s R&D division is pioneering 5G and edge solutions and invite Chamber members to visit our facility to see our entirely UK developed

John Bridge OBE DL, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, commented: “Digital working is key to our future success and 5G, the fifth generation of cellular networks, brings new capabilities that are essential for our future competitiveness.

“5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

We are delighted to be involved in this exciting all British sourced 5G initiative with DCI.”

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

THE CHANGING TIDES OF WOMEN’S RUGBY Shelford Rugby Club’s Women’s section isn’t a new phenomenon. The club has been fielding Women’s sides since the early 90’s, experiencing sustained periods of success and even producing international players.

However, what has changed of late is the club’s desire to challenge the status quo to give the infrastructure of Women’s sport an even footing.

The 2019/20 season saw the introduction of Saturday fixtures, often setting up ‘Double Header Days’ in which the Men’s and Women’s teams would play one after the other so that supporters could enjoy twice as much rugby. So ingrained in Women’s rugby are Sunday fixtures that even persuading opposition teams to make the switch proved tricky in some circumstances. However, those that made the switch soon discovered the

benefits of Saturday matches. Shelford’s Women’s team played in front of crowds larger than they’ve ever played in front of before and the added exposure has had a direct impact on their overall support and team sponsorship, with more and more businesses coming forward to support them.

Shelford’s captain Leanne Robinson, said: “The support the Women’s XV has received from Shelford Rugby Club has been incredible. From equipment provision, coaching support, the moving of games to Saturdays, alignment with other teams in double headers, increased media attention, newspaper articles, photoshoots - it’s all an indication of how much the club cares about its Women’s team, and also how good of an investment we are.”

Personalise your home virtually This Land Ltd, building homes at Cityglades in Cambridge, have unveiled a new exciting interactive virtual tour which will allow viewers to design their dream kitchen and bathroom.

Virtual viewings have become the norm since the pandemic and it’s no surprise prospective purchasers are happy to browse homes online from the comfort of their own sofa. However, This Land’s new virtual tour takes the immersive experience one step further by offering the viewer personalisation options.

As a viewer you can explore the four bedroom home ‘The Henslow’ room by room and floor by floor taking in the sense

of space, light and quality. You will have the opportunity to browse a selection of high quality kitchens from Porcelanosa including cabinets, worktops and a choice of Karndean flooring which will help envisage the final product. The kitchen comes complete with integrated Bosch appliances and upstairs, the personalisation continues.

You can select your favourite wall and floor tiles, plus decide on a colour for the basin vanity unit allowing you to create your dream, modern bathroom.

The virtual tour highlights the quality of all fixtures and fittings included in the homes at Cityglades, from intelligent home technology, underfloor heating to all floors, built in wardrobes and flooring as standard.

INVESTMENTS AT SKAT Like most small businesses the past 12 months have been challenging for us. SKAT is the leading childcare/early years supply and recruitment agency.

Even with this accolade we knew we needed to find ways to survive, improve and adapt.

We invested in business advisors to understand how we could achieve our goals, created a new website and rebranded and invested more time on social media platforms. We have achieved further success with business awards which solidifies our standing as a business and has a fantastic reach towards greater audience.

The main addition to the business and the most exciting was the decision to commence in-house training for our staff and clients. This, however, grew very quickly with addition of many courses we are able to offer.

The Skat Training Academy has now been established which principally offers First Aid at Work, Paediatric First Aid, Mental Health at Work and Pets First Aid. With the combination of these four training qualifications the Academy can offer 91 varied courses for businesses and families, on top of over 200 online courses.

Meet Cambridge scoops two awards Meet Cambridge, the city’s official conference and events bureau, is celebrating winning two prestigious meetings industry awards within 48 hours.

It has been recognised by both the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) and the Meetings Industry Association (mia).

ABPCO presented Meet Cambridge with one of its highest accolades, a Partner Recognition Excellence Award, for its professionalism and creativity. The team was nominated by professional conference organiser Rose Padmore from Opening Doors & Venues with whom they worked on a major international AI conference.

This was swiftly followed by Acting Manager Judith Sloane being named alongside eight top event professionals in the UK by the Meetings Industry Association and included on its coveted miaList for 2020.

Judith Sloane said: “We were truly delighted to have won the ABPCO Excellence Award and very grateful to our partner Opening Doors & Venues for nominating us for the joint project we worked on.

“On a personal note, I was thrilled to have been included on the miaList for 2020 and would like to thank my team, our venues and our associates for putting me forward.”

Star Radio launches in Peterborough Star Radio has expanded to Peterborogh, joining the Now Digital DAB Digital Radio multiplex for the first time. At the same time, Star has also joined the adjacent Cambridge DAB multiplex meaning the station is available on DAB from Saffron Walden to Stamford and Oundle to Ely. These moves are the latest in a range of coverage improvements for the radio station which has included a new FM transmitter for Haverhill and a power increase and new frequency for the main Cambridge FM signal.

For Star breakfast presenters Ros and Josh it’s a welcome return to the Peterborough

airwaves after their previous stint as hosts of the Heart FM morning show until mid-2019.

Star Radio’s Managing Director Freddie Scherer said: “We’re excited to bring Star to Peterborough, we’re now the sole commercial radio station based in and broadcasting 24/7 to the Cambridge and Peterborough area. Star’s arrival in Peterborough is also great news for local businesses as it enables them to be heard by more than 800,000 people across the city and the wider Cambridgeshire area on terrestrial radio in an affordable and effective way.” connected 29

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Positive outcome from global pandemic “The Pandemic has changed my life” says Jill McCulloch, “For 16 years I have helped hundreds of leaders re-ignite their passion, pursue their mission and fulfil their potential as a Certified Co-Active Coach.

“Because of lockdown, as a highly experienced coach, I was invited to pilot a neuroscience based coaching course positiveintelligence.com. In six weeks it changes the neural pathways in the brain, improving our ability to handle life’s challenges with a positive mindset rather than responding negatively. More than insight, daily practice on the accompanying app means lasting change. The impact on my own positivity was so profound I have

been studying under Shizard Chamine for the past 36 weeks.

“The results are remarkable. Not only are leaders better able to manage their own triggers but also their team. Increasingly clients are bringing this work to the team to improve relationships by better understanding themselves and getting the best out of others by managing negativity. Clients are raving about the course to friends and signing up their adult children.

“I’m delighted to be one of the first in the UK to coach this positive transformation with clients from Ely to Hong Kong and plan to bring this to 150 people in 2021.”

POETS HOUSE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

New workshop for Fenland Spirit Services At Fenland Spirit Services we’re fortunate our industry hasn’t been as badly affected as some - people working from home or furloughed couldn’t watch the grass grow!

We initially furloughed our staff, created a customer appointment system, operated socially distanced collections and deliveries and encouraged online payments.

Our most exciting news was getting planning permission in September to build a new, bigger workshop. With a BounceBack loan and a grant from the CPCA work started straight away. In fact, by November we had dug a base, laid a slab and erected a new steel insulated building, moving in a couple of weeks later.

Our staff have returned to work, safely distanced and we’re cracking through the winter servicing.

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Like many Ely businesses, Poets House Hotel and restaurant, has devised ways of making their hotel and restaurant a safer environment in which to stay for business and pleasure. Although the hotel is currently closed to all but essential business travellers working in key industries such as packaging, care homes and construction who have travelled to Ely to visit their business sites, the hotel is very much looking forward to welcoming other guests back once current lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Following on from the success of Head Chef Nick Sutton’s Festive Menu, he has been working on some exciting new menus aimed at a range of guests from those staying at the hotel on staycation packages to people wanting to celebrate belated birthdays and anniversaries in style. With an emphasis on sustainability, Sutton

is looking at increasing plant-based dishes for The Dining Room menu offerings.

For people in local businesses looking to hold team meetings, adaptations have been made to meeting rooms allowing two metre social distancing together with individually served refreshments.

General Manager, Christine Gallop comments: “We are in the process of planning how to set up our facilities for Hybrid meetings where companies are able to bring their whole team safely together in one room. Business has been hard for the hospitality industry over recent months, but we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests back to Poets House safe in the knowledge that we have followed Government guidelines closely to provide a comfortable but Covid-19 secure environment for everyone.”

news from

ELY AREA

MASTERS LOGISTICAL FLYING HIGH WITH WAREHOUSE DRONE SOLUTION TESTING Masters Logistical always aim to be at the forefront of customer service, and so they are very excited to share the news that they have been assisting technology company Logistics Partners Consultancy Limited, to trial warehouse drone solutions and help with their research into the benefits drone technology could bring to the Supply Chain.

There have been several high-profile European trials for customer delivery by drones, and in some parts of the world these are now in regular use transporting healthcare supplies. But this is only part of a drone technology’s potential capabilities – they could also offer significant safety, efficiency, cost and accuracy benefits elsewhere in the Supply Chain, both inside and outside the warehouse.

Drone technology has the potential to bring the following benefits inside a warehouse including efficiency, capability, safety, financial, accuracy and environment.

Masters Logistical Services Ltd have allowed Logistics Partners Consultancy Limited who used its aircraft, systems and software development skills to develop and flight test several prototype drones for use within an operational warehouse and distribution environment.

Masters Logistical provide a wide range of third-party logistics solutions to customers, offering a complete warehousing and distribution service from their base near Ely. Masters Logistical understand the benefits that technology can bring to improve the service they can offer their customers,

and by working together means that the drone system is being developed and rigorously tested in a real-world environment.

So far, initial tests of the prototypes have shown that they can successfully capture barcodes on pallets ready for comparison with Warehouse Management Systems.

Drones have been demonstrated to be capable of safe flight inside the warehouse and facilitate a stock check without the need for personnel lifting equipment improving the health & safety, accuracy and efficiency of the count. The next stages are to expand the capability to the stock and barcode types for the range of 3PL customers and conduct timed operational performance trials in the warehouse for comparison with manual counting rates.

Further development has the objective of implementing artificial intelligence in stock and barcode label recognition, and capability

for autonomous operations.

The quick wins with relatively fast ROI and H&S gains for inventory control and warehouse and equipment inspection means that 2021 could be the year that drone technology becomes a reality to warehousing and distribution operations at all scales.

Red Shoes Accounting Team raise the bar Three lockdowns hasn’t stopped Littleport accountancy firm, Red Shoes Accounting, from continuing to

invest in training and development for its staff.

2020 saw two members of the team

achieve AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) credentials. Apprentice Callie Weller, who only joined the team in September, worked her way up to Advanced Diploma (Level 3) and trainee Charlotte Watkinson is now in the final stages of her Professional Diploma (Level 4).

In addition, accountants Amber Smith and Ryan Lane have embarked up on their Chartered qualifications.

“Investing in our talent is crucial to the long-term success of the business and future growth. The team has worked hard during the pandemic and revenue has grown 22 per cent in 2020. Upskilling will take the business from strength to strength as the high demand for our services continues” says Principle Accountant and Owner, Victoria Cooper.

connected 31

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2020 was not all doom and gloom in St Neots St Neots Farmers Market had surprising success. The market, which has been established since 2002, until recently has been relatively subdued, attracting no more than a handful of regular producers from the local farming and growing community.

Following a short pause in trading during the first lockdown of spring 2020, the market re-opened to shoppers in May 2020 and has since experienced exponential growth.

The newly branded St Neots Farm and Craft Market now has more than 20 regular sellers and a strong local following with visitors preferring the safer outdoor shopping environment and choosing to support small, local businesses more than ever before.

Several new small business owners joined in 2020, seeing the market as a unique and affordable opportunity to have a ‘shop

window’ and sell in person as well as online, using the market to boost local awareness and help online sales. A few sellers, who were previously trading part time (in addition to a day job), have found themselves in different circumstances because of the pandemic; redundancies have led to some committing full time to their small business and those have been lucky enough to enjoy great success at the market.

Organised by St Neots Town Council the market is set up to ensure a safe environment for shoppers and traders alike.

Market stalls are well spaced apart in the town’s large Market Square and a one-way pedestrian route is in place around the market. Queue roundels at each stall remind customers to social distance and hand sanitiser is available at all stalls.

BUSINESS AS USUAL With over 50 years combined industry experience, CBS Group is proud to be able to continue to provide reliable and reputable services during this very challenging time. We continue to meet all of our clients full cleaning services, removals, maintenance, fit-out and installation, dilapidations and waste clearance requirements for both the domestic and commercial market.

CBS Group takes a consultative approach by discussing client needs, requirements and how we can help them get the best

solutions within timescales and budgets. Based in St Ives, CBS Group are in a perfect position to service the immediate areas of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Bedfordshire and beyond.

Our clients do not need the headache of sourcing multiple suppliers when all their requirements can be met under one roof for projects carried out on single or multiple sites. Our staff are DBS checked and we are fully accredited and insured to meet industry standards.

Family business expands Welcome to Alex Larkins, who joins Beacon Wealth Group Alex, as his name suggests, is Tony’s son and he is looking forward to joining the family business.

Alex has previously worked in the leisure industry, managing multiple teams and turning companies around to

become profitable. Thankfully we do not need turning around, but his skills are still very valuable, and therefore Alex’s role will be as part of Beacon Wealth Group, understanding how every other aspect of the group runs and see what extra potential we have hidden within them.

CareerJuice makes investment CareerJuice Recruitment is not your average recruitment service! CareerJuice has made significant investment in the latest recruitment technology. In addition to skills and psychometric testing, CareerJuice uses state of the art recruitment platform, Odro.

Odro allows us to arrange interviews with top talent without finding mutually agreeable times and enables interviewees to submit their interviews 34 connected

electronically, meaning our client can review the interviews for themselves, once candidates are shortlisted.

What’s more, it enables us to send personalised video messages to available candidates and, with a proven response rate of over 450 per cent, compared to typical forms of recruitment or cold calls, means our initial candidate outreach is much better than our competitors!

‘Bottle for Life - Use and Reuse’ Why do we use a plastic bottle and then throw it away or recycle it? How wasteful is that, why not simply reuse it?

Everyone in business has a moral duty to help reduce the growing mountain of single use plastic that infiltrate the natural world with devastating effect. Single use plastics are everywhere and a severe problem that is not going away anytime soon.

Our refill solution evolved from selling hand sanitiser to businesses and endeavours to reduce the plastic problem. By thinking differently we are able to deliver our products with a low carbon footprint and make a charitable contribution!

Customers keep their ‘Bottles for Life’ supplied with each kit, refill them with the eco pouch, and return the pouch multiple times for us to use and reuse. We even pay for the return postage and supply the envelope. A simple solution to a huge problem.

Air, Mind & Body launched in October with the help of Spectrum Creative who designed the new brand identity, packaging and supplied a fresh new website to compliment the new social media channels.

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HUNTINGDONSHIRE AREA NEWS

Looking forward with optimism The winds of change have certainly wreaked havoc throughout 2020, as we all came to terms with the Covid 19 Pandemic.

From mid-march last year when the first lockdown wave hit, XL Press has remained operational in order to support our front line clients; The NHS, Police and Fire & Rescue Services as well as being there for our other clients and we even got our website revamped.

XL Press are not alien to difficult times as the company was set up by our Managing Director when, along with a complete workforce, found themselves made redundant due to a company shut down at the height of a recession.

Family owned and run XL Press have weathered the storm and, after only 10 years in business, have a very reliable and

enviable reputation for quality and service.

Offering the client a complete one stop shop from Design, Litho, Digital and Large Format printing all under one roof at our St Neots production site.

With a combined total of over 200 years’ experience, our staff offer advice and expertise in all areas of the print arena.

Old fashioned values, still worthy of adopting, has been the key to XL Press’s success. Not content to hide behind computers, we are a people friendly business, we talk your language and listen, which makes things happen.

As proud producers of the Chambers connected Magazine, XL Press are looking forward with optimism for a better 2021 for all of us.

Management buyout at Playfords Playfords Ltd is pleased to announce the completion of a management buyout and restructure of the Board of directors.

Playfords have developed to become a leading Building Services Contractor with offices in Huntingdon, Durham and Dartford and over 95 years of experience and expertise in the fields of electrical and mechanical services, renewable energy, voice and data cabling and audio visual and IT networking – the complete solution for all buildings M&E services installations.

The MBO heralds a new era for Playfords Ltd which is approaching 100 Years in

business in 2025. This has provided the business with an appropriate leadership structure to make possible the retirement of our existing Shareholders and continue to drive Playfords forward into the future.

The new shareholders, James Tuohy, Managing Director who headed up the acquisition of the management buyout, along with Andy Downing, Group Operations Director, and Dave Miller, Northern Operations Director, will be working with our retiring Directors to allow a smooth transition and continuation of services to our many valued clients.

TRAINING MOVES ONLINE ABC Life Support, a Social Enterprise providing Physical and Mental Health First Aid training, are passionate about First Aid and Mental Health First Aid and are committed to providing courses to all areas of our society. We have recently gained CPD accreditation for our bespoke Mental Health Awareness courses and we are a QualSafe recognised training centre.

2020 has a rollercoaster for all of us and 2021 appears to be just as challenging so far. Due to the restrictions we are all living under, we have adapted many of our courses to be delivered online, specifically the mental health courses which have been very well received during the pandemic. Lockdown has affected people in different ways, to be able to provide awareness training of Mental Health issues online has helped people to feel reassured and confident in helping others.

We are proud to be part of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and value the input and support we gain from this allegiance. We were honoured to be recognised by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire for the work we have done for the community.

When is it ok to ask for help? Engineering company launches Awareness of mental wellbeing is now recognised as being as important as a physical illness or disability, the difference as we all know is that the signs aren’t always visible.

To support its colleagues, Webtec has introduced ‘Webtec Wellbeing’ and sees this as a vital part of its organisation. The team members may be based at its’ St Ives headquarters, but this support network is available to all Webtec’s global colleagues.

Each of the team members has their own personal reasons for championing the service.

Webtec Wellbeing has a dedicated ‘resource’ area on the company’s Intranet site which is easy for employees to access if they need help and information

regarding ‘Mental Health and ‘Wellbeing’.

The group also offers a service that allows Webtec colleagues to talk to their Manager, HR or a trained Peer Support Volunteer (mental health first aider) giving individuals the option to choose who they most feel comfortable talking to.

Caring for others such as supporting a colleague, working or off-work, active listening and managing your own feelings are all areas that are covered in the awareness training. Further training will also be available for anyone who is interested in offering their services as a Peer Support Volunteer.

range of protective desk screens At their factory in Huntingdon, Encocam manufactures protective desk screens following the same principles as their aluminium composite panels. They are

lightweight but strong and can be supplied to exact dimensions required. Screens appear almost invisible, whilst providing a barrier between employees.

The screens have already been installed throughout Encocam’s facilities, as well as in the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce.

Sadie Parr, Communications Coordinator at the Chamber, said: “Staff feel much happier with the screens in place, and the polycarbonate material used still allows the office to seem open.” connected 35

CORONAVIRUS

GOT SYMPTOMS? GET TESTED NOW PLAY YOUR PART. PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Do not leave home. Find out how to get a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119

CORONAVIRUS

KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE Keep 2 metres apart where possible Limit contact with other people Wash your hands the moment you get home For more ways to stay safe go to gov.uk/coronavirus

ENGLAND LOCKDOWN

STAY AT HOME

THE NEW VARIANT OF CORONAVIRUS IS SPREADING FAST. WE ALL NEED TO PLAY OUR PART TO STOP THE SPREAD.

LEAVING HOME You must not leave, or be outside of your home or garden, except for a very limited set of exemptions e.g. to shop for basic necessities, exercise, go to work if you cannot do so from home, or to escape risk of harm.

MEETING OTHERS You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone, except with your household or support bubble (if eligible to form one). Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.

EXERCISE You may exercise on your own, with your household or support bubble, or with one person from another household (when on your own). Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.

BARS, PUBS AND RESTAURANTS Hospitality closed aside from sales by takeaway (until 11pm), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery. Alcohol cannot be purchased through takeaway or click-and-collect from hospitality venues.

WORK AND BUSINESS Everyone must work from home unless they are unable to do so.

EDUCATION Early years settings open. Primary and secondary schools and colleges move to remote provision except for vulnerable children and children of critical workers.

Most university students to move to remote learning.

LEISURE AND SPORTING FACILITIES Closed, with limited exceptions.

ACCOMMODATION

Funerals of up to 30 people permitted.

Weddings up to 6 people permitted in exceptional circumstances. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events of up to 6 permitted.

PLACES OF WORSHIP Places of worship can remain open and communal worship is permitted, but you must not mix with those outside your household or support bubble.

TRAVELLING You must stay at home. If you do leave home for a very limited set of exemptions, you should stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live where possible. Do not travel abroad unless an exemption applies.

Closed, with limited exceptions.

CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE PERSONAL CARE Closed.

ENTERTAINMENT Closed.

RETAIL Essential shops can open. Non-essential retail must close and can only run click-andcollect and delivery.

WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

OVERNIGHT STAYS You must not stay overnight away from home. Limited exceptions apply e.g. to stay with your support bubble.

Shielding reintroduced across England. You should not travel to work, school, college or university and should limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.

CARE HOME VISITS Visits can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak but end of life visits are permitted in all circumstances.

For more information go to: gov.uk/coronavirus

MEMBER NEWS Nobody should fear technology – new book shows how technology can help us build better lives and businesses A passion for technology and a desire to help people understand it rather than fear it, inspired IT specialist Nuno Soares to write his book Digital Transformation (Rethink Press).

understand the benefits and the opportunities in front of their eyes.”

In Digital Transformation, Nuno explores how businesses need to change, adapt and evolve to succeed, but that many face difficulties deciding which new technologies will support them to best accelerate growth and deliver a high return on investment.

In a world increasingly reliant on IT, there is an underlying fear that technology will dominate us, but Nuno says that is not the case and he is encouraging us all to look at it differently.

He wants everyone to understand how technology can support our businesses and lives in a positive and enriching way, and use it to make our lives simpler, more streamlined and give us more time and opportunities away from work and business.

He said: “I hope that my readers will look at technology with completely different eyes after reading my book.

We live in a world of abundance, not scarcity and technology can unlock many opportunities. My vision of the future is not a dark one. I don’t believe technology is going to dominate us. History shows the opposite – we are the dominant force, we will always be in control. Humans are good at “being”, technology is good at “simulating”.

“People fear technology, because they don’t understand it. If I can help people to understand technology, then I hope people

and businesses will benefit from the opportunities that technology can create.”

Nuno started his career 25 years ago as a computer programmer and database administrator. A move into IT support services then led to him starting his first IT support company in Portugal.

He added: “I have written this book to share my passion for technology. For me it’s simple, it’s logical, it makes sense.

Although I realise that is not the same case for most people. What makes me tick, is showing and explaining technology to other people. To see their faces changing when they get it. When they can

Nuno demonstrates how proven shortcuts will get you there faster, from project planning and analysing data to using technology to improve and streamline systems and processes.

He shares ways to understand the impact that digital transformation will make on your business, and how to learn more about investing in technology, identify new opportunities through effective use of technology and increase your business productivity, efficiency and profitability.

With an in-depth understanding of the processes, procedures and best practice to help accelerate growth, Nuno enables you to plan and execute the right digital transformation strategy for your business.

New year and new role for new business in the Midlands The start of 2021 sees the appointment of Sarah Williams as a new Business Development Partner for top UK accountancy practice, Streets Chartered Accountants.

Sarah joins Streets as an accomplished business development professional having over 20 years’ experience in new business generation, gained from working in both B2C but more recently B2B and the professional services sector. In particular she is well versed in the work of accountancy professionals delivering accountancy, audit, tax and business advisory services and their specific relevance for a diverse range of businesses across a number of sectors.

In her new role with Streets, Sarah will have responsibility for the development of new client business for the firm across the Midlands, both East and West, an area which enables her to capitalise on her regional knowledge of established business and intermediary contacts.

Commenting on her

new role Sarah said: “I am delighted and excited to be joining Streets. The firm is widely respected for its progressive and innovative approach to supporting and looking after the needs of its clients.

“The Partners and wider team have really responded well to the pandemic ensuring clients have received practical, proactive and commercial advice. This, along with its continued vision for introducing additional and complimentary services to support clients, I believe is welcome by many business owners and company directors who seek much broader support and assurance.

“Certainly, the provision of its own commercial legal services practice, Streets Law, along with its

international reach through its own global association, SBC Global Alliance, and a dedicated personal financial planning arm provide a really strong offering for both existing and new clients. This is aside to its robust core service provision around audit, accountancy, tax and business advisory.

“I look forward to promoting the firm’s breadth of services and capabilities especially to potential new clients who may be looking for something different or a fresh approach.”

When asked about what Sarah’s appointment means to Streets, Paul Tutin, Chairman and Managing Partner, said: “We are exceptionally fortunate in recruiting Sarah. She will be a great asset and additional member of our practice wide business development team. In particular, she brings to the role a real appreciation and understanding around new business development in the professional services sector and accountancy practices specifically.” connected 39

barr ellison solicitors

When you both have different views

Guiding you through divorce barrellison.co.uk/family | law@barrellison.co.uk

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STAMFORD & FENLAND

HEGARTY SOLICITORS DONATION TO SUPPORT LOCAL NHS CHARITIES Local Law firm Hegarty Solicitors have donated £3,000 raised during the pandemic to local NHS charities.

From April to June 2020 the firm supported the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and the Leicester Hospitals Charity by donating a proportion of all wills fees generated to acknowledge the outstanding service the NHS is delivering to local people.

Greg Baker, Partner and Head of the Wills, Trusts and Probate department at Hegarty Solicitors, commented: “We are pleased to be able to make a donation to the Trust charities as our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to our local NHS staff.

“We believe in supporting our local NHS and recognising the incredible work they do. For a number of years, we have offered a discount on our family law, wills, trusts and probate and conveyancing services fees to NHS and emergency services staff, however, we know that throughout the pandemic, our local NHS Trusts have been under increasing pressure and have worked

tirelessly to help our local communities.

So, in April last year we decided we wanted to do something extra to support staff working for our local NHS Trust, by donating a proportion of our fees to the Trust charities.”

Greg continued: “We hope this donation goes some way to helping support NHS staff and patients at this incredibly challenging time. As a firm we are committed to making a positive impact on the community we work in and we are keen to offer our help and support and give something back whenever we can.”

Joanne Bennis, Chief Nurse at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Hegarty Solicitors through this donation will be actively supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff, who have been working tirelessly since the beginning of this pandemic. We are extremely grateful for the generous support offered to us by Hegarty Solicitors and everyone else in our local community, thank you.”

2020 for Abtec represented a diverse year of both setback and opportunity Our training division had to be curtailed because of Covid restrictions.

However, our online business of supplying precision abrasive products to industry increased over the previous year, by more than 25 per cent.

Our decision in the far off days of 2010 to concentrate on going fully online has paid dividends and this was reflected in winning a Fenland Business Award for customer service in 2018 and 2019 and being selected as an Export Champion for 2019 and 2020 by the Department for International Trade.

We know some of our customer base, especially aerospace and automotive, found market conditions extremely challenging in 2020. Fortunately, by being online, we were able to attract new customers that may have found problems with existing supply chains.

In 2021 we now face the perfect storm of Brexit, recession and further Covid restrictions but our small company will adjust, adapt and take opportunities as and when these arise.

Sales Director Michelle Ring

connected 41

CORONAVIRUS

KEEP WORKING

FROM HOME IT’S UP TO ALL OF US TO STOP THE SPREAD

For more ways to stay safe go to gov.uk/coronavirus

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

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PETERBOROUGH AREA

FOOD BANK DONATIONS Michelle Craig, Manager at Brightfield Business Hub comments on the current situation: “I’ve noticed two things recently…

“Firstly, how sad it is knowing children across the country are going hungry, not just every now and then but consistently, day after day, week after week, a situation that’s compounded during school holidays - an issue we’ve all seen reported in the press of late.

“Secondly, and this is much more positive, I’m touched by how amazing people really are, coming together to show support, to contribute in any way they can, from Marcus Rashford utilising his reach and influence, to local restaurants and businesses pledging to provide meals and support to those in need.

“In thinking about this, I wondered how many children in Peterborough are affected and how Brightfield Business Hub, it’s friends and tenants could collectively make

a difference, so I’m calling on you to show your support, however small, so together we can create food parcels which can be donated to a local food bank Trussell Trust for distribution to those most in need.”

To get involved and show your support for our community, simply bring your donations to the BBH reception, MondayFriday, 8.30am-1.00pm where they’ll be stored ready for delivery on Friday mornings.

Support continues at EF Enginnering Since the first lockdown in March 2020, EF Engineering have continued to support our teams and our clients. Staying connected, listening to their challenges and being available to provide solutions to the problems we all faced.

Utilising our full range of services from designing and creating products to high quality finishing and delivering around the world, we were able to build strong relationships through difficult times. From furniture to light fittings, wall panels to wall art we offer solutions that transform products and surfaces with our traditional, specialist and liquid metal finishes.

Our finishing solutions are used

by architects, designers, furniture manufacturers, refurbishment contractors and lighting companies looking to: • Extend their existing product range with new finishes • Find a bespoke finish for their project • Bring a project to life with our wide range of finish options • Use our liquid metal range as a cost-effective alternative to real metal • Restore products to their former glory or breathe new life into damaged/tired products or surfaces.

We are looking forward to growing our local presence and building relationships with incentives for Cambridgeshire businesses.

CityFibre provides Gigabit build update CityFibre’s £30million full fibre infrastructure rollout, bringing Gigabit speed broadband to the residents of Peterborough, is progressing well.

Now in its third year, CityFibre has completed works in Garton End, New England, Walton, Paston, Dogsthorpe, Newark, Eastfield, Parnwell, Werrington, Park, Woodston, Ravensthorpe, and parts of the Ortons, Hampton Vale, and Fletton.

Construction works are now taking place in Bretton, Westwood, Fletton, and the Ortons.

In the latter part of 2020, CityFibre announced a few updates to its website including a new postcode-checker where residents can check and see if their address is live for a full fibre service.

If the service isn’t yet available, residents can register their interest and will be kept up-to-date via email when their address is ready to take a service.

The postcode checker can be found here: https://www.cityfibre.com/ residential/ For any other queries or concerns the CityFibre helpline is available 24/7 0800 0836160.

LOF Office Furniture launches new division to help businesses adapt their office environments post pandemic LOF Office Furniture is starting 2021 with a bang as it launches Plann:d - a new design consultation division of the wellknown office furniture company.

With experience in private and public sectors and education, Plann:d designs

flexible and adaptive workspaces.

Partner, Nicola Ford says: “We’re wellknown locally, and in the industry, for our office furniture.

“Over the years, we’ve helped many companies transition from a couple desks

to over 100 seats.

“We offer advice and guidance to help them adapt to change. It’s this design consultation, space planning, growth and change support that Plann:d will now deliver as a standalone service.” connected 43

I wear this to protect you.

Please wear yours to protect me.

Wear a face covering to keep your nose and mouth covered at all times on public transport, unless you have good reason not to.

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Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Print Marshall Creative on investing for the future Celebrating their 40th year in business, Bill Marshall and the team at Print Marshall Creative in Peterborough are not letting the pandemic hold them back and they’re even investing in new technology to extend their services.

Their new digital die cutter gives them the ability to cost effectively produce small quantities of cut out shaped items including door hangers and tags.

It can also kiss cut, which enables the production of bespoke shaped labels.

The machinery has already been worth its weight in gold with the production of Covid signage to support the efforts of manufacturing clients in creating safe environments for their workforce.

Print Marshall Creative is open for business and they’re offering discounts off their print services, when purchased alongside graphic design projects (valid until the end of February 2021).

HIGHLY SKILLED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS WITH A NATIONAL REACH Established in 2015, the PB Solutions team comprises of fully qualified and industry leading electrical experts, project management and supporting staff.

With over 100 years combined experience in commercial and industrial electrical installations we pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and premium delivery.

Combining an innovative and

THOROKLEEN TRANSFERS TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP It is now over a year since Roger and Angela Cresswell, Directors of Peterborough based Thorokleen, decided to take overdue retirement.

Their decision was to the benefit of the Company’s employees and customers through the formation of an Employee Ownership Trust. As you would expect, the decision was well received by the company’s employees.

Roger formed Thorokleen in 1988, and it has progressed to become one of the City’s leading cleaning companies. Roger and Angela are looking forward to watching the company develop under their loyal and capable management team.

PETERBOROUGH AREA

Paul Dalliday, a longstanding employee and Director, runs the company day to day, reporting to a board of Trustees. The Trustees are there to support Paul, and ensure that the company is run for the benefit of all qualifying employees.

Like all companies, Thorokleen has faced challenges during the last year as a result of the Covid pandemic. It has however been extremely busy supporting customers old and new. Due to the pandemic, standards of hygiene are obviously very high, a prompt response has been vital to customers’ requests for help. The introduction of two new fogging machines has been in demand from as far away as Ipswich.

methodical approach to creating solutions that deliver on the clients brief, our engineers work on all sized projects from a full data network installation to implementing a smart lighting system.

One of our core goals is to raise and promote environmental awareness through the deployment of projects, as such, we incorporate greener electrical systems for our clients, such as our turnkey EV Charge installation service.

FENLAND ROASTER ADAPTS Back in March 2020, as the nation went into lockdown and events-based businesses saw jobs disappear from oncecrammed diaries, The Fenland Roaster decided to adapt to the needs of the nation.

Richard Jones, owner of The Fenland Roaster, a Peterborough-based catering business that relied heavily on events, decided to swap serving hog-roasts to hungry festivalgoers for batch cooking heat-athome meals. Making life a little bit easier for many people by dropping off delicious meals to a wide range of customers; from busy key-workers on the front line, to families newly navigating home schooling and working

from the kitchen table.

Since the start of the Pandemic, Richard has expanded his offering to include all sorts of tasty items, including freshly baked pies, artisan cheeses and treat-worthy desserts. These are available both for delivery and collection at his Friday morning pop-up market stall in Whittlesey and Coates. connected 45

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PETERBOROUGH AREA

Turning lockdown despair into happiness What can you do with a building closed for business during Lockdown 2?

Well, in December 2020, KingsGate used its premises to pack and distribute 1,000 Christmas food hampers to vulnerable and marginalised communities in the city as part of ‘Love Christmas’, a national campaign aiming to bring hope, practical love and kindness to our communities.

KingsGate worked with a range of

organisations and schools to distribute the hampers to those in most need including Peterborough Foodbank, Hope Into Action, the Garden House, the new Floating Support team and local schools.

Volunteers of all ages were involved in the project with KingsGate’s youth group preparing hampers that were given to rough sleepers engaging with the Garden House; young adults packing the food hampers and KingsGate’s Life Groups

delivering the hampers.

Sharon Keogh, Head of Community Action, said: “We were very excited to be able to bless the city in a practical way this Christmas. It has been a difficult time for everyone and we wanted to do something to bless those adversely affected by Covid19. Giving hampers has enabled our congregation to connect with the community in a very practical way and convey a message of hope and love.”

PRINCEBUILD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CHARITIES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PANDEMIC Over the last six months Princebuild have pledged over £15,000 to community and charitable causes.

Due to the difficulties this year has presented, events that we arrange and support to raise money for charity and involve the community in have not been able to take place.

However, despite this Princebuild felt it vital to continue supporting local charities who need it more this year than ever before.

The support provided has included £2,500 to kick-start funding for the Tommy Robson memorial statue,

materials and labour at New Ark Adventure Playground amounting to in excess of £3,000, as well as carrying out essential roofing repairs for Castor pre-school.

Financial donations have also been made to several charities close to the hearts of the company which are made up of £2,000 to Peterborough City Hospital Breast Care Unit, £2,000 to Macmillan Cancer Support, £1,000 to the NSPCC and £1,000 to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.

In addition to this Princebuild have sponsored both the November and December Drive-In Fireworks events at

the East of England Arena, helping to provide some entertainment for the local community and a new charity challenge competition is set to be launched in the new year in partnership with PCR FM whereby lucky listeners will be able to win a donation by Princebuild to a charity of their choice.

Finally as a Christmas party was unable to go ahead, a 12 days of Christmas prize draw was arranged giving staff the chance to win up to £500 in vouchers to help them celebrate the festive season.

It is very much hoped that 2021 will see a return to the fundraising activities such as the charity 10k run, Blingo and the Christmas dinner dance, but in the meantime Princebuild will continue to support the community in the best way possible.

Adapting to the new normal When the new restrictions were announced last December, many SMEs had to face the harsh reality of losing one of their most important trading periods. While big businesses could count on e-commerce, local businesses just didn’t have the platforms or infrastructure to move their business online.

This was precisely the situation that a local florist Trish Harris from Floral Dimensions found herself in.

When UK Web Solutions met with Trish we knew we had neither the time nor the budget to create an advanced online shop for her.

We needed to find a quick solution that would allow her to take orders via her website floraldimensions.co.uk so 46 connected

her business didn’t have to shut down completely.

Luckily Trish already had a website so in just a few days we were able to extend it with an e-commerce module allowing her to add and remove products and take payments via PayPal. With the ability to configure different forms of delivery, we quickly divided the products into different categories and launched local ads via social media.

Although under normal circumstances Trish could have hoped for more, being able to take over 25 orders in the space of just three weeks before Christmas was certainly helpful for the business.

Most importantly, Trish now has a

tool that allows her to effectively sell her products and services online.

Unfortunately, lockdowns will stay with us for still some time. But more importantly, the habits and routines formed by our customers during this period will stay with us long beyond the lockdowns. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to prepare your business for this new reality in order not only to survive but to thrive.

NHS COVID-19 app – the facts The NHS COVID-19 app is the fastest way to find out if you may have come into contact with coronavirus.

The sooner you know, the quicker you can self isolate and protect the ones you love.

The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in.

Facts versus fiction The app does: • quickly identify if you’re at risk from COVID-19 • help you protect your loved ones

The app doesn’t: • ask for personal information that can be used to identify you

• work as part of the larger Test and Trace programme

• track your location

• provide a timer to help you self-isolate without guess work

• drain your battery – it uses low energy Bluetooth

• send your data to anywhere else

• help you identify symptoms accurately

Covid Secure businesses and the app We recognise that many businesses have gone above and beyond on being Covid Secure.

Although this reduces the risk of spreading the virus, it doesn’t eliminate it.

Pausing the app Everyone is encouraged to download the NHS Covid-19 app to help fight COVID-19 and protect lives. However, there are circumstances where it may produce unnecessary alerts because of the way the technology works not taking into account your surroundings.

We advise that you pause the contact tracing function if: 1. your phone is being stored in a locker or communal area, for example while working or taking part in a leisure activity like swimming 2. you’re working behind a Perspex (or equivalent) screen and are fully protected from other people 3. you’re a healthcare worker working in a healthcare building such as a hospital or GP surgery 4. you’re a worker in social care and are wearing medical grade PPE such as a surgical mask Unless one of the above four scenarios does not apply to you, we recommend you not pausing the app at any time.

Learn more at www.covid19.nhs.uk The NHS COVID-19 app is available to download in England and Wales

COVID-19 vaccination First phase priority groups Priority

1

Risk group

80 yrs

All those 80 years of age and over and Frontline health and social care workers

2

3

4

5

6

75 yrs 70 65

yrs

yrs

60 yrs

7 8 9

Residents in a care home for older adults and Staff working in care homes for older adults

55 yrs 50 yrs

10

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All those 75 years of age and over

All those 70 years of age and over and Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age) All those 65 years of age and over

Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group*

All those 60 years of age and over All those 55 years of age and over All those 50 years of age and over Rest of the population (to be determined)

*

Blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma); diabetes; dementia; a heart problem; a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma; a kidney disease; a liver disease, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy); rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis; have had an organ transplant; had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA); a neurological or muscle wasting condition; a severe or profound learning disability; a problem with your spleen, eg sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed; are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above); are severely mentally ill.

Enjoy life. Protect yourself.